As the world celebrates Dolly Parton's legacy on her first-ever official holiday, tension within part of her inner circle persists.
California and Ohio, along with many counties and cities across the nation, have legally declared Sept. 25 as Dolly Parton Day. The date "9/25" is a nod to the country music legend's timeless track "9 to 5."
In Nashville, residents were encouraged to wear pink, spread kindness and watch firework shows. Nonprofit Musicians On Call played Parton-inspired music to patients, veterans, caregivers and staff across hospitals in the United States all in the name of the "Jolene" singer, who died Aug. 25 at age 80 after an undisclosed battle with cancer.
A month after Parton's death, a rift has emerged between her estate and
her nephew, Bryan Seaver, who was fired as head of her security operations on Sept. 17 after more than two decades in the role. He assumed the role from his late father, Larry.
She's Alive, LLC, an entity Parton created to protect her legacy, filed and was later granted a temporary restraining order against Seaver on Sept. 22. Seaver, who announced his aunt's death in an Aug. 25 video, is accused of threatening Parton's employees and business associates and attempting to damage the singer's brand, according to the filings obtained by the USA TODAY Network.
USA TODAY reached out to Seaver through his security company for comment.
Here's what to know about feud.
Who is Bryan Seaver?
Seaver, who oversaw the singer's security operations for more than 20 years, is the son of the late Larry Seaver, who previously held the position, and Dolly's younger sister Cassie Parton, 75.
In addition to working to protect his aunt, her residences and her professional properties, Seaver is the CEO of Squadron Augmented Protection Services, a Nashville-based company offering executive protection, estate security, business intelligence, K-9 services and event security, according to his LinkedIn page.
The world became familiar Seaver when he announced the country music legend's death in a video, something he said Parton had personally asked him to do. He shared that he first followed his aunt on the road when he was a kid in the early 1980s and got a taste of the doors she opened for her family "to reach the potential we didn't even know was possible."
"My family and I have shared a lifetime of beautiful memories with Dolly, but so have you," he said in the video. "She has always been on your television, your record player, your CD, and on your phone playlist, becoming an extended part of your family, whether you liked it or not."
What is Bryan Seaver accused of?
In a motion for a restraining order filed in Davidson County Chancery Court on Sept. 22, She's Alive LLC alleges that Seaver waged a campaign of threats, harassment and intimidation on Parton's family and those entrusted to protect her brand.
Seaver is accused of threatening to ruin Dolly Parton's brand partnerships unless he was paid through podcast appearances and social media, according to the legal documents obtained by the Nashville Tennesean, part of the USA TODAY Network.
The court documents also claimed Seaver made "threats of real-world violence" towards the singer's staff, partners, and legal and business advisers, allegedly often invoking his background as a military contractor during the Iraq war.
"As the entity entrusted by Ms. Parton to protect and promote her life's work for future generations," She's Alive must "cultivate a safe work environment for employees, advisors, and partners, free from intimidation or hostility — particularly intimidation by an armed former security contractor," the motion reads. "Without relief, Defendants’ calculated campaign will continue to inflict fear, to destabilize" She's Alive's operations, "and to cause further irreparable harm."
According to the court documents, Seaver allegedly told Danny Nozell, the singer's former manager who was selected by Parton to run She's Alive, "I'm going to set up a podcast dedicated to ruining Dolly's brand partnerships and telling the violations these people have done on us. It's going to be great. Or ... pay me."
What has Bryan Seaver said?
In a statement to TMZ shared Sept. 21, Seaver said he and his teams were "dismayed by the unexpected and, so far, unexplained actions" taken by Nozell and Pinnacle Bank.
"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," the statement reads.
What has Parton's family said?
Freida Parton, one of Dolly's younger sisters, addressed the situation on social media. In a Sept. 23 Instagram statement, she expressed support for her nephew and dismissed speculation of a rift within the family.
"Hi I'll say this and this only: there is no feud within our family. No one among the Parton/Owens family is fighting over Dolly's estate," she wrote. "We all love Bryan, just as we love each other. I love you all!!"
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dolly Parton Day comes amid tension between her estate and her nephew
