The legal dispute between Dolly Parton’s family and those managing her estate appears to be easing after her longtime manager, Danny Nozell, voluntarily dismissed his lawsuit against her nephew, Bryan Seaver.
Nozell filed a notice of voluntary dismissal in court on Thursday. The lawsuit had accused 49-year-old Seaver of jeopardizing the late music icon’s estate and business interests in an effort to secure payments, according to documents obtained by Rolling Stone.
The notice requested that the case be dismissed without prejudice, allowing Nozell’s legal team to pursue the claims again in the future if necessary.
Nozell and Parton’s nephew had been embroiled in the dispute since shortly after Parton’s death on August 25 at age 80, following a brief battle with cancer.
The dismissal came as a deadline neared for Nozell to respond to Seaver, who had denied the allegations made against him.
Our News Outlet has contacted representatives for Seaver and Nozell for comment but has not received a response.
Danny Nozell’s lawsuit against Dolly Parton’s nephew Bryan Seaver (right) was voluntarily dismissed on Thursday, according to Rolling Stone (Above, Parton and Seaver in New York City in 2017)
Nozell had accused Seaver of threatening the late singer’s estate and its business interests to obtain payments, but asked the court to dismiss the case without prejudice, leaving open the possibility of refiling it (Above, John Sykes, Dolly Parton and Danny Nozell in Los Angeles in 2022)
In a statement to TMZ on Thursday, Seaver’s attorney, Dominic J. Leonardo, said: ‘Mr. Seaver cares deeply about his Aunt Dolly, her music, her family, and the incredible legacy she left behind. He has made a career out of protecting his aunt while she was alive and remains committed to Dolly and his entire family.
‘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 entirely untouched,’ his attorney added.
The next hearing had been scheduled for Tuesday, November 10.
Neither side has explained why Nozell withdrew the lawsuit, and representatives have not said whether the parties reached a settlement.
Seaver had previously asked the judge to dismiss Nozell’s claims against him.
In his response, Seaver denied threatening Parton’s manager and said text messages that appeared threatening were intended as jokes.
The lawsuit’s dismissal came days after Seaver publicly defended his sister, Rebecca Seaver, following her recent termination from Parton’s Life of Many Colors Museum.
‘I am very proud of my sister Rebecca Seaver and her endeavors building Dolly’s archive and museum,’ Seaver wrote in a Facebook post on Saturday.
The legal battle between Nozell and Seaver began shortly after Parton’s death on August 25 at age 80 following a brief cancer battle (Above, in Los Angeles in 2019)
Seaver denied threatening Parton’s manager and said text messages described in the case as threatening were meant humorously (Source: Dolly Parton’s Instagram)
He added: ‘My cousin Danielle Parton is my closest family and my buddy. We are nearest in age and have always been pals.’
Seaver continued: ‘I have always and will forever sing her praises and support her as she goes about her journey and career.
‘Both of these women are dynamos in their fields and there is no feud between us. I love them both with all my heart.’
Our News Outlet previously contacted representatives for Seaver, Parton’s estate and the museum seeking further comment.
Seaver’s post followed reports from sources cited by TMZ that Parton’s estate had dismissed Rebecca from her role as executive director of Dolly’s Life of Many Colors Museum at the SongTeller Hotel in Nashville.
Sources told the outlet that the staff members Rebecca supervised were also dismissed from their positions.
The museum opened inside the hotel on September 29, according to the outlet. Rebecca had developed the exhibit with Parton’s sister, Rachel Parton George.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Andrew Shue, Marilee Fiebig Marry After T.J. Holmes, Amy Robach
Seaver himself was dismissed from his position as security chief for Parton’s properties and businesses in September.
The lawsuit’s dismissal followed Seaver’s public defense of his sister Rebecca Seaver (right), who was recently fired from Parton’s Life of Many Colors Museum (Above, with Jada Star, left, in Nashville, Tennessee, on October 21)
The employment dispute escalated into a legal conflict when Nozell accused Seaver of making threats against him, allegations Seaver denied.
The messages emerged during separate proceedings involving a temporary restraining order obtained by Parton’s estate against Seaver.
In a court filing last month, Seaver said the texts described as threatening had been taken out of context. The dispute involved a Nashville property connected to Parton’s estate.
According to a filing reviewed by Page Six on October 13, Seaver said he had been communicating privately with Nozell, his longtime friend and Parton’s manager.
Addressing earlier messages about his military background and experience with weapons, Seaver claimed Nozell had previously encouraged him to publicize his work dealing arms.
Seaver said his statement that he would ‘destroy Dolly’s brand partnerships’ referred to business tactics rather than physical violence.
He acknowledged using profanity in the messages, which were sent around the time of Parton’s death on August 25.
Seaver also said the dispute involved an unpaid $251,000 bill owed to his company, Squadron Augmented Protection Services, for work performed at properties owned by the late entertainer. He said the amount has since been settled.
Dolly’s Life of Many Colors Museum opened at the SongTeller Hotel in Nashville in September
Parton, pictured in Melbourne, Australia, in 2014, died on August 25 at age 80 after a brief and private battle with cancer
In the filing, Seaver said he had raised numerous concerns about the SongTeller Hotel, including safety violations, construction delays and guards he alleged had slept or used marijuana while on duty.
He said Parton supported his efforts to press Herschend Family Entertainment, the company operating the SongTeller Hotel and Dollywood, about those issues.
Seaver included a letter Parton wrote on November 11, 2024, in which she described his organization as ‘very professional, very discreet, and very good at what they do,’ according to the outlet. In the letter, Parton said Seaver had led her security team for years and wanted him to meet with the properties’ managers before they selected a security company.
Seaver also said he and Nozell exchanged friendlier messages after the texts later characterized as threatening in court documents.
The two men, who announced Parton’s death together in an August video, had also discussed the possibility of Seaver appearing on The Joe Rogan Experience, according to his filing.
Seaver denied that his communications caused an estate attorney to resign from the trust.
He claimed Nozell told him on September 10 that two estate attorneys had left their roles because the bank had been ‘taking everything over.’
The latest development follows allegations from She’s Alive LLC, which is run by Nozell, that Seaver made threats involving violence and business sabotage. The company sought a restraining order, arguing that his conduct had harmed the business and those connected to it.
Dolly Parton and Danny Nozell at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Los Angeles in 2022
Seaver argued in his filing that the restraining order was overly broad, including provisions that barred him from coming within 1,000 feet of relatives who work with She’s Alive.
He told the court that the business dispute had drawn unwanted media attention, with reporters appearing at his home and contacting relatives, including his wife’s 96-year-old grandmother.
At one point, Seaver claimed his 17-year-old son placed barbed wire near the entrance to the family home to discourage unwanted visitors, according to the outlet.
Seaver also said a magnetized camera had been found near the property, although it was unclear who had placed it there.
