Dolly Parton's nephew sent profanity-laced emails days before her death, estate alleges as barbed wire feud escalates
From the Newshound archive · first published 6 October 2026 · last updated 8 October 2026.
Bryan Seaver announces Parton's death in a video she had reportedly asked him to make — weeks later he was fired and hit with a restraining order amid allegations he made "relentless" threats against her estate.
Bryan Seaver, 49, the nephew Dolly Parton handpicked to announce her death, allegedly sent a profanity-laced email four days before she died, threatening to "f--- you up the ass" in a row over an unspecified project. The estate's company She's Alive LLC — which had already won a restraining order against Seaver — claims process servers found barbed wire and 'no trespassing' signs blocking his front door across three separate delivery attempts.
Seaver had allegedly threatened to 'set up a podcast dedicated to ruining Dolly's brand partnerships' unless he was paid, and called himself 'literally a killer' and 'an international arms dealer'.
A judge has pushed the injunction hearing back to October 20 after Seaver claimed he could not find a lawyer, though the estate urged the court to treat that claim with 'considerable scepticism'.
Seaver previously fired back, insisting 'nothing in this lawsuit were threats' and that his messages were 'frank' private communications with manager Danny Nozell, who terminated him from his security role on September 15.
