Dolly Parton’s Estate Claims ‘Terminated’ Nephew Has Threatened ‘Violence,’ to ‘Destroy the Brand,’ Said ‘I Am a Killer’: Docs

Bryan Seaver, who announced his aunt’s death to the world, was fired from his job as her head of security earlier this month

NEED TO KNOW

• Dolly Parton’s estate filed a lawsuit against her nephew Bryan Seaver, alleging threats and attempts to harm her legacy
• Seaver, her former head of security, was “terminated” after allegedly threatening staff and brand partners following her death
• The estate claims Seaver vowed to damage Parton’s brand unless paid and made violent threats invoking his military background

Dolly Parton‘s estate has filed suit against the late country star’s nephew Bryan Seaver, claiming he threatened to smear Parton’s legacy and made repeated violent threats toward her employees.

Seaver, the son of Parton’s sister Cassie, served as his aunt’s head of security for more than 20 years before he was “terminated” earlier this month. The role was passed down to him by his father, Larry Seaver.

On Tuesday, Sept. 22, She’s Alive, LLC (SAL), which Parton designed to protect her legacy after her death, filed a lawsuit against Seaver, alleging he became “emboldened” after she died on Aug. 25 at age 80, and that his behavior ultimately led to his firing. SAL also filed for a temporary restraining order against Seaver.

“Mr. Seaver began his campaign of threats, intimidation, and coercion a few weeks prior to Ms. Parton’s passing…. In writing, he vowed to ‘destroy the entire brand’ and also told her entertainment attorney: “I’m not an entertainment person. I’m a killer,’” reads one of the filings, which were obtained by PEOPLE.

Seaver did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s multiple requests for comment.

The filings claim that the “Jolene” singer “loved and cared for her family very deeply,” and felt strongly about employing family members whose skills fit her business needs. One of the filings alleges that in the weeks prior to and after his aunt’s death, Seaver threatened to smear her brand and “inflict reputational and economic harm” on those entrusted with protecting the brand, including by launching a podcast dedicated to ruining her brand partnerships unless he was paid.

He is accused of making “threats of real-world violence” to Parton’s staff, partners, legal and business advisors, allegedly often invoking his background as a military contractor. The filing claims his alleged behavior is what led to his firing, as SAL considers itself “armed with a duty to protect the employees and partners who promote [Parton’s] brand and partnership.”

“As the entity entrusted by Ms. Parton to protect and promote her life’s work for future generations, SAL must cultivate a safe work environment for employees, advisors, and partners, free from intimidation or hostility—particularly intimidation by an armed former security contractor,” one of the filings says. “Without relief, Defendants’ calculated campaign will continue to inflict fear, to destabilize SAL’s operations, and to cause further irreparable harm.”

In a statement following his firing,Seaver and his team hit back at Parton’s longtime manager Danny Nozell and Pinnacle Bank, claiming they were “dismayed by the unexpected and, so far, unexplained actions” taken in the wake of Parton’s death.

“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,” they told TMZ.

TMZ first reported on Sept. 21 that Seaver had been fired from his role as head of security. The outlet reported that after he was let go with a termination letter on Sept. 16, replacement security guards took over Parton’s main residence in Nashville, plus her museum, downtown home and warehouse.

It was Seaver who announced his aunt’s death to the world in a social media video. In the video, he said he was representing the Parton and Owens family in sharing news of the loss, as the “Jolene” singer had asked of him some years prior.

“This video announcement is something Dolly asked of me years ago, before I fully absorbed it as a future reality,” he said. “As her head of security for more than two decades, a role my father Larry held before me, I have imagined the heaviness of this moment but haven’t truly felt it until now.”

Seaver’s LinkedIn lists him as the CEO of Fencebridge Strategic Risk, LTD, a private international security, logistics and risk management firm.

His sister Rebecca currently serves as the executive director of Parton’s Life of Many Colors Museum in Nashville.