Dolly Parton estate alleges nephew evading lawsuit with barbed wire, trespassing sign
The estate of Dolly Parton alleges that her nephew, Bryan Seaver, who previously served as the late singer's longtime head of security, is using barbed wire and a "no trespassing" sign to evade a lawsuit, according to a new court filing.
Seaver, the son of one of Parton's 11 siblings, is being sued by She's Alive LLC, the company overseeing Parton's business empire, for allegedly threatening and extorting the estate of Parton, who died on Aug. 25 after a brief battle with cancer.
According to the court filing, submitted Monday in Davidson County Chancery Court in Nashville, a process server who tried to deliver court documents to Seaver observed that his residence has a "no-trespassing sign in the front yard and barbed wire draped across the handrails leading to the front door."
"Mr. Seaver attempted to evade service of process, and this Court should not reward that behavior," the filing states, adding that the server attempted to serve him three times. The estate also alleges that Seaver did not do anything to retain counsel despite saying that he would.
In the new filing, the estate asks the court to deny Seaver's request for an extension in the case.
Last month, Parton's estate was granted a temporary restraining order against Seaver -- the family member who officially announced Parton's death in a video message shared on her social media -- and his security company.
A Tennessee judge ruled on Sept. 23 that Seaver and his company show a "present and continuing disruption and threat" to She's Alive.
When reached by email on Tuesday, Seaver told ABC News the restraining order prevents him from speaking publicly about the case.
He previously denied the allegations against him and said he was fired as Parton's head of security over what he calls "contrived threats."
"I was fired. After the estate negotiated with me and my company for services in perpetuity and agreed to that service provision from my company," Seaver said in a Sept. 23 statement to ABC News. "A week later they fired me for these contrived 'threats.'"
A representative for Parton's estate did not immediately reply to ABC News.
In its latest filing, the estate is asking that the temporary restraining order against Seaver and his company be converted into a temporary injunction.
The next hearing the case is scheduled for Oct. 9.
Parton, who became known for her entrepreneurial skills in addition to her music prowess, left behind a multimillion dollar estate, including the Dollywood amusement park.
She and her husband of nearly 60 years, Carl Dean, who died last year, had no children.
