Questions about how Dolly Parton's estate is being managed have surfaced following a controversy involving her nephew andformer head of security, Bryan Seaver.
Seaver, whoannounced the country music icon's death in a social media videoin August, is being accused of "carrying out a campaign of threats, harassment and intimidation" against the Parton family.
The allegations are outlined in alawsuit filed Sept. 22 in Davidson County Chancery Court by She's Alive LLC, an entity overseeing aspects of Parton's estate. The suit names Parton's nephew, Seaver and his security company, Squadron Augmented Protection Services LLC, as defendants.
According to the complaint, Seaver made repeated written threats to Parton's staff, business partners and advisers.
The lawsuit alleges some individuals have become fearful for their safety.
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The lawsuit seeks a restraining order that would require Seaver to remain at least 1,000 feet away from members of She's Alive LLC and its employees, agents, attorneys and business partners. It also asks the court to prohibit him from communicating with those individuals or interfering with the company's business relationships.
Seaver was last publicly seen with Parton at the grand opening of Dolly's Tennessean Travel Stopin Cornersville earlier this year.
One Parton fan, who was visiting Dolly's Tennessean Travel Stop on Sept. 24 while traveling from Indiana to visit family, said she had only recently learned about the situation involving Seaver. She told The Tennessean she trusts Parton's business judgment and understands why Parton chose him for the role.
"She knew what she was doing," said Mary Lou Lee. "She was a good businesswoman."
Leadership at Dolly's Tennessean Travel Stop declined to comment when approached by The Tennessean. Here's what to know about how Parton's estate is being managed following her death.
Did Dolly Parton leave a will?
While it's not publicly known whether Parton had a traditional will, court filings show she put extensive estate planning measures in place decades before her death through a series of trusts and related entities designed to manage her assets and business interests.
In 1997, Parton established the D.P. Dean Trust to oversee her property and assets after her death.
According to court filings, the trust directed that her professional property and business interests be transferred upon her death into a separate entity known as the Dolly Parton Professional Property Trust, The Tennessean reported.
How are Parton's assets being managed?
The Dolly Parton Professional Property Trust is overseen by co-trustees, who are responsible for managing the trust based on instructions Parton provided before her death and for the benefit of its beneficiaries.
Because trust documents are generally private, the details of Parton's wishes and how her assets are ultimately distributed are not publicly available.
Beneficiaries typically include family members and loved ones, though trusts may also benefit charities or other organizations. Court filings identify Seaver as a beneficiary, but it is unclear what he stands to receive from the trust.
What is She's Alive LLC?
Parton's estate plan also called for the creation of She's Alive LLC, a company established after her death to serve as an adviser to the Dolly Parton Professional Property Trust.
While court filings do not detail all of its responsibilities, the entity was created to help oversee the trust and to "preserve and advance" Parton's legacy, messaging and philanthropic efforts for future generations.
Trust advisers can be given a range of powers, depending on the terms laid out in trust documents.
Parton selected longtime manager Danny Nozell to serve as the sole manager of She's Alive LLC. Court filings indicate the company operates with staff and office space and plays a role in managing a broad range of Parton's business interests.
State records show Nozell formed the LLC on Sept. 9.
How does a trust differ from a will?
Both wills and trusts are common estate planning tools; however, they serve different purposes.
According to Investopedia, a will outlines how a person's assets should be distributed after death and typically goes through probate, the court-supervised process of settling an estate.
A trust, on the other hand, allows assets to be managed and distributed according to instructions set by the person who created it, often with greater privacy and without many of the public filings associated with probate.
Trusts can also continue operating after a person's death, with trustees overseeing assets on behalf of beneficiaries according to the terms laid out in the trust documents.
Contributing: Evan Mealins
Diana Leyva covers trending news and service journalism for The Tennessean. Contact her at Dleyva@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Did Dolly Parton leave a will? How her estate is managed after death
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