Dolly Parton’s nephew and former head of security, Bryan Seaver, filed a written response Tuesday asking a Nashville judge to dissolve the temporary restraining order the estate obtained last month. The estate pointed to allegedly violent messages sent after Parton’s death in August at age 80, and a hearing on October 20 will decide whether to extend the order. Seaver’s filing frames the messages very differently, calling them a“private, profane and ultimately friendly exchange”between him and longtime manager Danny Nozell.
The filing claims Nozell responded to texts where Seaver jokingly called himself an“international arms dealer”with a heart and a“haha.”Seaver also says the real dispute was a $250,000 debt for prior security services, which has now been paid. His lawyers argue the order violates his First Amendment rights and prevents him from contacting his own mother and the trust attorneys handling his inheritance, adding that the messages“are not threats of violence.”
The estate now must file a written reply by Friday, October 16, before the hearing on Tuesday, October 20. It’s a collision of family, money, and free speech questions around one of music’s most beloved legacies. Do you think the restraining order should be dissolved? Sound off in the comments.
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Local Lawton
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