Dolly Parton’s Nephew Called Himself an ‘Arms Dealer,’ Spoke of ‘Vengeance’ and Owning Swords and Guns: Lawsuit

NEED TO KNOW

• Dolly Parton’s nephew Bryan Seaver was terminated as her head of security after alleged threats and intimidation, according to a lawsuit

• Court filings claim Seaver boasted about being an arms dealer and threatened long-term vengeance against her estate

• Parton’s estate is seeking damages and a court order to prevent Seaver from interfering with her business interests

Dolly Parton’s nephew, who previously served as her head of security before his position was “terminated” earlier this month, spoke openly about violence and weaponry in the weeks before he was dismissed, according to court filings.

Bryan Seaver — against whom Parton’s estate was granted a temporary restraining order on Sept. 22 — launched a “campaign of threats, intimidation and coercion” that began in the weeks before Parton’s Aug. 25 death, when he allegedly became aware that her death “could be [imminent],” according to a memorandum filed in support of the restraining order petition.

Seaver, who at Parton’s request was the one who announced her death, has not responded to PEOPLE’s requests for comment.

“Mr. Seaver began invoking his self-proclaimed military-contractor experience, access to weapons, and capacity for violence to extort [Parton’s estate] into giving into his demands for money,” the filing reads.

Seaver, who served as his aunt’s head of security for over 20 years, allegedly “boast[ed]” about arms dealing and warfare, calling himself “literally an international arms dealer and mercenary,” and also announced plans to exact “long-term vengeance.”

“I am [seeking] vengeance for my people for the next 50 years. I have no debt. I only own swords and guns,” he allegedly told Parton’s longtime manager Danny Nozell. “All I have is animosity and memory. But I’m going to spend the next times I have on earth ratf---ing anyone that has ever betrayed my family… All I do is warfare… Everyone needs to be worried about what I might do.”

He also allegedly described himself as “a killer” in a Sept. 3 email to Parton’s entertainment attorney.

“I sold 27 million $ worth of ammunition and arms to the Haitian police on [the] day Dolly died,” he allegedly wrote. “Entertainment is not my game.”

Two days prior, on Sept. 1, Seaver allegedly wrote to Parton’s trust and estates attorney that he was about to “become the hand of retribution” for his “entire family,” prompting the attorney to terminate her representation of the trust.

“Her money better be bigger than I can make elsewhere or I’m going to f--- everyone,” Seaver allegedly wrote to the attorney.

According to a complaint filed on Sept. 22, employees working for She’s Alive, LLC, which Parton arranged to take care of her business interests after her death, “resigned rather than risk retribution at the hands of Mr. Seaver and his heavily-armed confederates.”

The complaint claimed that the workers “effectively fled their positions to protect themselves,” leaving She’s Alive to deal with their losses.

She’s Alive is asking the court to enter judgment in their favor and against Seaver to keep him from interfering with business. They also want the court to award compensatory and punitive damages in an amount to be determined at trial.

After TMZ reported Seaver’s termination, he spoke out in a statement shared with the outlet, saying he and his team were “dismayed by the unexpected and, so far, unexplained actions” taken in the wake of Parton’s death.

“We remain unshakably resolved to fulfill her final directive to protect her family, and we refuse to be intimidated by those whose actions we believe are being taken in bad faith and with the intent to profit from the life of someone who willingly gave so much,” they told TMZ.

Read the original article on People