Dolly Parton’s manager dismisses lawsuit against her nephew
Danny Nozell’s lawsuit against Bryan Seaver was voluntarily dismissed without prejudice shortly before a scheduled hearing, leaving the reason and any settlement unresolved.
Danny Nozell, Dolly Parton’s longtime manager, and his lawyers filed a notice voluntarily dismissing their lawsuit against her nephew, Bryan Seaver, on Thursday, Nov. 5, in Nashville. Rolling Stone reports the dismissal was without prejudice, meaning the claims could be brought again. It came shortly before a deadline for Nozell to respond to Seaver’s denials and ahead of a hearing scheduled for Tuesday.
The hearing was expected to address whether to extend a temporary restraining order limiting Seaver’s contact with Parton’s employees and business partners and barring him from certain private property. The reports do not establish what happened at the scheduled hearing. Lawyers for both sides did not immediately respond to Rolling Stone’s requests for comment on why the case was dismissed or whether a settlement had been reached.
What Nozell alleged and Seaver disputed
Nozell sued Seaver in Nashville Chancery Court in September, accusing him of an escalating campaign of threats intended to create fear and chaos and extort money. The complaint cited messages including, “I am about to become the hand of retribution for my entire family.” A judge granting the temporary order said the messages cited in the complaint appeared to combine threats with demands for payment or other action.
Seaver denied threatening anyone. In court filings, he said his “pay me” remark concerned $251,000 he said he was owed for security services already provided to Parton, and argued that Nozell had taken private messages out of context. He acknowledged that some messages were profane. The judge’s assessment accompanied the temporary order; the report does not describe it as a ruling resolving the underlying allegations.
Who filed the dismissal, and what Seaver said
Rolling Stone identifies Nozell and his lawyers as the filers; CBS News describes Parton’s estate as moving to dismiss the case. Nozell is the sole manager of She’s Alive LLC, which oversees Dollywood and Nashville’s SongTeller hotel, according to Rolling Stone. CBS describes She’s Alive as managing Parton’s estate.
Seaver’s attorneys told CBS News he was grateful to put the “misunderstanding” behind him so the family could grieve peacefully and preserve Parton’s legacy. Seaver had led the private security firm Squadron Augmented Protection Services, CBS reported. The outlet also said he and the firm were fired by She’s Alive in September, before Nozell sought a restraining order against them.
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Sources and context
- Dolly Parton's Manager Dismisses Lawsuit Against Her NephewRolling Stone
- Dolly Parton's estate moves to dismiss lawsuit against nephewCBS News
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.