Dolly Parton's nephew announced her death. Why her estate is suing him now - USA Today

Less than a month ago, Bryan Seaver appeared in a solemn video on Dolly Parton's social media accounts to announce the country music icon's death.

Parton had personally asked her nephew years earlier to deliver the news when the time came. Seaver, who served as her head of security for more than two decades, described the responsibility as an honor mixed with pride and sadness.

Now, the relative once entrusted with announcing Parton's death is at the center of an escalating legal dispute involving her estate.

She's Alive, LLC, an entity Parton created to protect her legacy, filed a lawsuit against Seaver on Sept. 22 and was granted a temporary restraining order that same day. The filings accuse Seaver of threatening Parton's employees and business associates and attempting to damage the singer's brand.

The court action came days after Seaver and his security companies were dismissed from protecting Parton's properties.

The lawsuit alleges Seaver "began a campaign of threats, intimidation and coercion a few weeks prior to Ms. Parton's passing."

According to filings obtained by People, Seaver allegedly invoked his experience as a military contractor, his access to weapons and his capacity for violence while seeking money from those overseeing Parton's interests.

"In writing, he vowed to 'destroy the entire brand' and also told her entertainment attorney: 'I'm not an entertainment person. I'm a killer.'"

The filings claim Seaver threatened to damage Parton's brand partnerships, including by creating a podcast about alleged wrongdoing involving her businesses. The allegations have not been proven in court. The estate is seeking to prevent Seaver from interfering with Parton's businesses and professional relationships.

Seaver received a termination notice Sept. 16 after serving as his aunt's head of security for more than 20 years.

Seaver followed his father, Larry, into the position as head of Parton's security, according to the statement he made while announcing Parton's death⁠.

Seaver's responsibilities included helping protect the singer, her residences and her professional properties.

The termination letter stated that Seaver and his companies were dismissed from all of Parton's properties. It also said the trust's co-trustees would contact him separately regarding his interest as a beneficiary.

Although a specific explanation was not initially provided publicly, the new court filings allege Seaver's conduct led to his dismissal. USA TODAY reached out to Seaver through his security company and Danny Nozell for comment.

Seaver denied that his messages constituted threats, telling TMZ they were taken out of context.

"I was talking frankly in a private way with Danny who I thought was my friend and he fancies himself a gangster," Seaver told the outlet. "A lot of these messages are two guys having rage talk and crying on the phone together while we were grieving."

Seaver also said certain remarks concerned business partners he believed had mistreated or intimidated his aunt. "I was talking about people that have done bad to Dolly in business – a specific company that scared her and intimated her. Those comments were about specific, horrible business partners that have done wrong to her and I stand by that."

USA TODAY has reached out to Seaver through his security company and to Nozell for comment.

Seaver is the son of Parton's younger sister Cassie Parton. He began traveling with his aunt as a child in the early 1980s and eventually assumed the security position previously held by his father.

Parton personally asked Seaver to announce her death when the time came, he said in the video shared on her social media accounts Aug. 25.

"This video announcement is something Dolly asked of me years ago, before I fully absorbed it as a future reality," Seaver said.

Parton's precise reason for selecting him has not been publicly explained. His position as both a close relative and her longtime head of security, however, made him a trusted figure within her family and professional circle.

Contributors: Liza Esquibias, Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY.