Bryan Seaver reacted to the temporary restraining order against him in new court filings on Tuesday (October 13).

Late legend Dolly Parton’s She’s Alive, LLC (SAL), an entity operated by longtime manager Danny Nozell that Parton planned to protect her legacy, filed a lawsuit and a temporary restraining order against Seaver. The suit alleges Seaver, 49, “began his campaign of threats, intimidation, and coercion a few weeks prior to Ms. Parton’s passing,” reportedly prompting some employees to resign. A judge granted a temporary restraining order against Seaver, who was fired from his longtime role as Parton’s head of security. Seaver has denied the allegations, including when he told ABC News that “the restraining order is spurious and simply a publicity stunt. …I've never threatened anyone.” In the new court filings, Seaver further addressed text messages with Nozell that were included in the lawsuit, calling them an “ultimately friendly exchange.”

Seaver, Parton’s nephew, and his attorneys responded to the extension of the restraining order in court filings obtained by PEOPLE. The new documents state, “An order barring contact with ‘legal counsel, financial advisors,’ and anyone else who ‘has or may have’ a relationship with SAL would cut a beneficiary off from the trustees and their lawyers in the middle of an estate administration. Mr. Seaver’s mother, sister, and other relatives work for, or with businesses connected to Ms. Parton.”

“The breadth of the requested restrictions also affects my family relationships,” Seaver stated, according to PEOPLE’s report on Tuesday. “My mother, my sister, my aunts, and my cousins have employment or other connections to Ms. Parton’s businesses or estate… A restriction extending to everyone who ‘has or may have’ a business relationship with SAL could reach ordinary communications with close family members. ..I care about Ms. Parton, her music, her legacy, and her family. I do not want this dispute to harm her legacy.”

Seaver’s attorney, Nick Leonardo, said in a statement earlier this week: “Mr. Seaver has always been a private person, but he was chosen by his aunt, with his family's approval, to make the announcement about Dolly's passing. He would have preferred to remain a private person, as this ordeal has taken a toll on his family. This legal dispute arose between Mr. Seaver, a family member who was also in charge of Dolly's private security, and a business manager. While the family was grieving, the business manager went to court and the media with a surprising and incomplete story. Seeing text messages that are misleading and taken out of context has been very hurtful to our client and his family. The restraining order was granted ex parte, without the benefit of the court hearing Mr. Seaver's side of the story, which is coming. While Mr. Seaver and his family work through this, they trust that the bright light of Dolly's legacy remains untouched, and they are eager to amicably and expeditiously resolve this matter.”

Parton “died peacefully” on August 25 in Nashville, Tennessee, according to an official announcement. She was 80. Seaver also shared a statement from the family on his late aunt’s social media accounts at the time. Representatives for the “I Will Aways Love You” legend said in a statement to PEOPLE hours later, “after bravely facing a brief battle with cancer, Dolly departed her Earthly life today at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center surrounded by loved ones.” Parton was laid to rest beside husband Carl Dean, who died in March 2025. He was 82.

Seaver’s next court date is set for October 20.

Calendar Events