Dolly Parton’s longtime manager, Danny Nozell, has moved to drop the lawsuit accusing her nephew Bryan Seaver of threatening employees and business partners connected with her estate. She’s Alive LLC, which manages her business interests, filed a notice of voluntary dismissal in Tennessee on November 5, according to documents reviewed by Entertainment Weekly.
Seaver, her former head of security, has denied threatening anyone and says private messages were taken out of context. The dismissal was requested without prejudice, meaning the company could bring the claims again.
A November 4 court filing said the two sides had reached an agreement, the Associated Press reported. Its terms have not been disclosed, and the following day’s notice gave no reason for withdrawing the complaint.
The filing came three days after Seaver and his security company, Squadron Augmented Protection Services, submitted an 18-page response. His attorneys told CBS News he was “grateful to put this misunderstanding behind him.”
Seaver Said His Demand Concerned a $251,000 Security Bill
The September 22 complaint alleged that Seaver had coupled demands for money with messages invoking his access to weapons and security background. It also cited a proposed podcast that Nozell said was intended to damage Parton’s brand partnerships, according to Rolling Stone.
Seaver’s response said approximately $251,000 had been owed for security services already performed and that his company had since received the money, ABC News reported. He rejected the characterization of his demand as an attempt to obtain money through intimidation.
He also challenged how Nozell had reacted to their conversations. In its November 3 account of his response, ABC News reported that Seaver cited messages to which Nozell had replied “HaHa.” He argued that the exchanges had not created the atmosphere of fear described in the complaint.
Chancellor I’Ashea L. Myles issued a temporary restraining order in September. It barred Seaver from approaching within 1,000 feet of covered employees and business partners, entering company-controlled property or engaging in harassing or disruptive conduct. A hearing on further restrictions had been scheduled for the following week.
Parton Chose Seaver to Announce Her Death
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Parton died in Nashville on August 25 at 80, her official website confirmed. Seaver delivered the news in a prerecorded video on her Instagram account, carrying out a responsibility she had personally given him. He had provided security for his aunt for more than two decades.
A letter from attorneys for She’s Alive, obtained by Rolling Stone, said his security work ended on September 15 without affecting his status as a trust beneficiary. It told him the co-trustees would be in touch about his interest.
His mother, Cassie Parton, publicly supported him in a message Seaver shared on Facebook on October 26. PEOPLE quoted Cassie, the singer’s sister, as explaining that loving her son did not require her to judge others or take sides in disagreements she might not fully understand.
Danielle Parton Took a Separate Role as Brand Ambassador
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The estate named Parton’s niece Danielle its brand ambassador in an October 23 announcement carried by BroadwayWorld. Danielle is the daughter of the singer’s brother Bobby Lee Parton and Doris Maxine Noland.
A commercial airline pilot and entrepreneur, Danielle retired from the military in 2025 after 20 years of service. Parton delivered a speech at her retirement ceremony.
In excerpts from her October 22 Instagram video published by ABC News, Danielle said losing her aunt had made her think about the family’s responsibility to care for the stories and lessons she left behind. “I’m proud to be part of that legacy and to carry it on in my own way,” she wrote in the caption.