Dolly Parton’s nephew Bryan Seaver has lost the security job he held for more than two decades, only weeks after the country legend personally entrusted him with announcing her death to the public.
Seaver and his security companies were dismissed from Parton’s properties in a termination notice delivered Sept. 16, according to TMZ, which said it obtained the document. Replacement guards arrived at the late singer’s primary Nashville home as the change took effect.
The new security team also took over at Parton’s museum, downtown residence and warehouse. Seaver and his team have since challenged the decision publicly, saying they were given no explanation and directing their criticism toward Parton’s longtime manager Danny Nozell and Pinnacle Bank.
Seaver had identified himself publicly as Parton’s head of security for more than 20 years, after taking over a role previously held by his father, Larry Seaver.
Seaver Says the Decision Was Unexpected and Unexplained
😳 EXCLUSIVE: Dolly Parton’s nephew, who announced her death, fired from security role amid estate war.
What we know: https://t.co/WVhk0n0WOC pic.twitter.com/7GoRfo1D5F
— TMZ (@TMZ) September 21, 2026
Seaver and his team told TMZ they were “dismayed by the unexpected and, so far, unexplained actions” taken since Parton’s death. They specifically criticized longtime manager Danny Nozell and Pinnacle Bank while objecting to the way the security transition was handled.
“We remain unshakably resolved to fulfill her final directive to protect her family,” Seaver and his team said, before accusing unnamed parties of acting in bad faith and attempting to profit from Parton’s life.
Nozell has long held a central role in Parton’s business affairs. The day after her death, Parton’s official website quoted him as the leader of the team responsible for overseeing her legacy and continuing projects she had put into development.
An AOL report said replacement guards were operating at Parton’s properties while noting that Seaver’s personal interest in the trust had not been removed with his security role.
Dolly Chose Seaver to Announce Her Death
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Seaver had been given one of the family’s most public responsibilities less than a month earlier. On Aug. 25, he appeared in a video published through Parton’s official channels to tell fans that his aunt had died at 80.
Parton’s official website still directs readers to Seaver’s message as part of its formal announcement of her death. “This video announcement is something Dolly asked of me years ago, before I fully absorbed it as a future reality,” Seaver said.
He also recalled first traveling with Parton as a child in the early 1980s and described delivering the announcement as an honor mixed with “absolute pride and great sadness.”