Home · Entertainment · Sep 24 archive
Dolly Parton's Sister Denies Family Feud Over Estate
Confirmed
In Short: Dolly Parton's younger sister, Freida Parton, has denied reports of a family feud over the country legend's estate.
Dolly Parton's younger sister, Freida Parton, has denied reports of a family feud over the country legend's estate.
In a statement on Instagram, Freida said, 'No one among the Parton/Owens family is fighting over Dolly's estate.
The dispute involves Bryan Seaver, Parton's nephew and former head of security, who was fired from his role following her death.
Parton's estate, managed by She's Alive LLC, filed a lawsuit against Seaver on September 22, alleging he used threats of violence to extort money from the estate.
Freida emphasized that the family remains united, stating, 'We all love Bryan, just as we all love each other.
Seaver's spokesperson told TMZ that the security company remains committed to fulfilling Dolly's final directive to protect her family and refuses to be intimidated by those acting in bad faith.
The lawsuit alleges that Seaver, who has a military background, became 'emboldened' by Parton's death and sought to extract money from her estate.
Freida's statement comes after a Tennessee judge granted a temporary restraining order against Seaver and his private security company, Squadron Augmented Protection Services, on September 23.
The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department told the Associated Press that there were no reports against Seaver in its system.
Despite the legal action, Freida insists that the family is not in conflict over Dolly's estate.
Freida's clarification on social media aims to dispel rumors of tension within the Parton/Owens family over the management of Dolly's business interests.
What this adds
Freida Parton's statement clarifies the family's stance on the ongoing legal dispute, emphasizing unity and dismissing rumors of a feud.
The lawsuit and restraining order against Bryan Seaver are the latest developments in the management of Dolly Parton's estate, highlighting the complexities involved in handling a celebrity's posthumous affairs.
What's confirmed
- "I'll say this and this only: there is no feud within our family," writes Freida Parton on Instagram.
- It’s run by Parton’s longtime manager, Danny Nozell.
- “We all love Bryan, just as we all love each other,” Freida concluded.
What's still developing
- As previously reported, the Sept. 22 lawsuit is being leveled by She’s Alive LLC, a company set up by Parton before her death to handle her posthumous finances and business affairs.
- “I’m a killer,” Seaver allegedly wrote to one of Parton’s attorneys.
- Parton’s estate is seeking a restraining order that would prohibit Seaver from interfering with its business operations and require him to stay at least 1,000 feet away from all personnel.
- Related Kacey Musgraves to Perform on 2026 VMAs in Tribute to Dolly Parton Paul Grein Freida Parton reckons it’s not at all what it seems.
- If you didn’t see the news, the late country music singer’s nephew Bryan Seaver, who was the chosen family member to announce her death, and his security companies were recently fired from her properties following her death, and he called out her longtime manager for the change.
- It was just reported that Dolly is said to have only allowed one person at her deathbed.
- But it seems the family is still standing by him through all of this.
- Seaver and his team were reportedly served notice on Wednesday, September 16, that their services were no longer required at Dolly’s Nashville home, museum and warehouse.
- “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,” Seaver’s spokesperson told TMZ.
- By signing up, I agree to the Terms and Privacy Policy and to receive emails from Us The dispute is particularly shocking since Seaver was chosen by Dolly on behalf of her family to announce her death via an Instagram video last month. (Seaver’s mother is Dolly’s sister Cassie Parton.) “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 said in a video statement posted on Parton’s official Instagram account on August 25.