The legal dispute inside Dolly Parton’s inner circle is over, at least for now. A Tennessee judge on Monday, Nov. 9, dismissed the case brought by Danny Nozell, the singer’s longtime manager, against Dolly Parton’s nephew and former head of security, Bryan Seaver, after the two sides reached an agreement.
NBC News said Nozell asked for the dismissal on Thursday, Nov. 5. The order from Chancellor I’Ashea L. Myles finalizes that request without prejudice, which means the case can be filed again.
What Nozell Alleged
Nozell runs She’s Alive LLC, the entity founded to manage and protect Parton’s estate. Parton passed away on Aug. 25 at 80 after what her team described as a brief battle with cancer. In September, Nozell secured a temporary restraining order against Seaver and his company, Squadron Augmented Protection Services, which had provided Parton’s security for nearly two decades, according to ABC News. A judge found a “present and continuing disruption and threat” to She’s Alive when granting that order.
She’s Alive sued Seaver on Sept. 22, ABC reported, alleging he had made threats and was demanding money. The complaint said Seaver threatened Parton’s legacy and business empire, and Nozell wanted the temporary order turned into a permanent injunction. According to Entertainment Weekly, the filing claimed Seaver vowed in writing to “destroy the entire brand” and to go after the business partners that help operate Dollywood. An earlier NBC News report said the suit also accused him of threatening to “set up a podcast dedicated to ruining Dolly’s brand partnerships.”
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She’s Alive had let Seaver and his company go in mid-September. In an Oct. 5 filing, the estate accused him of avoiding service of the lawsuit, describing a “no-trespassing sign in the front yard and barbed wire draped across the handrails leading to the front door.”
Seaver’s Side
Seaver, the son of one of Parton’s 11 siblings, was the family member Parton picked to announce her passing in a video on her social media accounts.
He denied threatening anyone. In court filings, he said he had considered Nozell a close friend and ally, and that the text messages Nozell cited were a “private conversation between two friends who were both frustrated, grieving and discussing strategy.”
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Seaver also said the dispute grew out of a business disagreement between his security company and the company that runs Parton’s hotel and museum in downtown Nashville. His affidavit said his company was owed about $251,000 for security services, NBC News reported. He told ABC News in September that the remark at the center of the case was an inside joke from Parton’s camp, and that “Danny Nozell took that text out of context.”
Why the Case Was Dismissed
The case ended because Nozell withdrew it. One court filing said the sides had reached an agreement, but neither side nor the court documents have revealed why the complaint was withdrawn, NBC News reported. The terms of the agreement have not been made public. The two sides had been scheduled to argue the claims in court on Tuesday, Nov. 10. ABC News reported that the temporary restraining order was dismissed along with the lawsuit.
Because the dismissal is without prejudice, the court made no finding on whether Seaver threatened anyone, and She’s Alive keeps the option to refile.
Dolly Parton posthumously accepts Americana Lifetime Achievement award – Fox Nashville, YouTube
“Mr. Seaver is grateful to put this misunderstanding behind him so that the entire family can continue to grieve peacefully and ensure that the bright light of Dolly’s legacy remains completely untouched,” his lawyers said in a statement. A spokesperson for Parton’s estate declined to comment to ABC News.
A quiet agreement is probably the best outcome for a family still grieving, and for an estate that has to keep Dollywood and the rest of Parton’s business running.
Are you glad to see this dispute end quietly, or do you think Parton’s fans deserve to know what the agreement says? Let us know!
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