Dolly Parton Family Dispute Could Become Long, ‘Expensive’ Court Fight: Lawyer - Newsweek

A legal dispute between Dolly Parton's longtime manager and her nephew Bryan Seaver could turn into a lengthy and expensive court battle, an attorney has told Newsweek.

Earlier this week, Danny Nozell, the country legend's manager, filed a request for a restraining order against Seaver, who was head of security for Parton and announced her death to the world on August 25.

In a filing on behalf of She's Alive LLC, a company Parton set up before her death to manage and protect her business interests, Nozell asked for a restraining order against Seaver, alleging he had engaged in a campaign of threats, intimidation and extortion.

Seaver has denied the allegations, saying in a video shared on his Facebook page this week that he is "heartbroken." He added, "They can only try to take my job and my inheritance, but they can never take my life."

Newsweek has contacted Seaver and Nozell for comment via email.

The legal fight playing out between Parton's management and nephew is a high-profile example of what attorney Parag L. Amin, the founder of LawPLA, told Newsweek is far from uncommon.

"When someone wealthy dies, a fight over the estate, money and where it goes is common," Amin said. "The part that is not common is a dispute getting so bad that someone needs a restraining order."

While the exact cause of the dispute is uncertain, Amin said a lack of paperwork could be a factor.

"From what has been reported, it looks like the paperwork and what was supposed to happen was just not clear," he said. "That happens a lot with family businesses, or when family members work together. A lot of times the founder thinks, Well, it's family; we'll figure it out and it'll be fine. But the reality is, nobody knows the full intentions unless it is in writing."

Freida Parton, Dolly Parton's sister, said on Instagram earlier this week that "there is no feud within our family," and that no one was fighting over her late sister's estate. Amin said the real issue could still be steeped in emotion.

"Seaver is not reported to be fighting over his inheritance. This is really a business dispute and the end of a business relationship," he said. "The questions are whether Seaver's security company keeps its contract, what his company is owed, and who gets to make those calls now that She's Alive is in charge."

What this does have in common with inheritance fights, Amin said, is that it is highly emotional.

"In family disputes, money is often a side issue, and the real problem runs deeper. If only the legal side gets handled and the emotional side does not, these cases usually cannot be resolved without a trial," he said.

Courts granted a temporary restraining order against Seaver on Wednesday, which Amin said was unlikely to be long term.

"It is an emergency order, and here the judge granted it before Seaver had a chance to be heard. The goal is to keep things steady and keep them from going off the rails until the judge gets the full picture," he said.

The next hearing is set for the first week of October, when a judge will decide if a long-lasting order should be put in place, or if it will be lifted altogether.

"It could go either way. After that, the lawsuit keeps going. His status as a trust beneficiary is a separate matter running at the same time," Amin said, warning that the issue was unlikely to be solved anytime soon.

He continued: "Business disputes like this can settle at any point. But the more money involved, and the more emotion behind the fight over that money, the harder, longer and more expensive these cases usually get."

Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Matthew Robinson and Shakeema Edwards.