Dolly Parton's nephew Bryan Seaver has publicly defended his sister Rebecca Seaver after she was reportedly fired from Dolly's Life of Many Colors Museum in Nashville.
In a Facebook post on Saturday, Bryan Seaver, 49, praised his sister's work on the late country singer's museum and rejected talk of a rift with their cousin Danielle Parton.
"I am very proud of my sister Rebecca Seaver and her endeavors building Dolly's archive and museum," Bryan Seaver wrote.
He also praised his cousin in the post. "My cousin Danielle Parton is my closest family and my buddy. We are nearest in age and have always been pals," he wrote. "I have always and will forever sing her praises and support her as she goes about her journey and career."
"Both of these women are dynamos in their fields and there is no feud between us. I love them both with all my heart," he added.
The Daily Mail reached out to representatives for Bryan Seaver, Dolly Parton's estate and the museum for further comment on the story.
Firings at Dolly's Life of Many Colors Museum
Bryan Seaver's post followed a report from TMZ, citing sources who said Parton's estate let Rebecca Seaver go from her job as executive director of Dolly's Life of Many Colors Museum at the Nashville-based SongTeller Hotel.
The sources told TMZ that the museum staffers Rebecca Seaver led were also terminated. According to the outlet, the museum initially opened inside the hotel on September 29 after Rebecca Seaver worked on the showcase with Parton's sister, Rachel Parton George.
The museum opened just over a month after Parton died on August 25 at age 80 following a brief and secret cancer battle. The country music singer-songwriter behind "Jolene" and "I Will Always Love You" built a broad hospitality and entertainment business in Tennessee.
Restraining order and text message dispute
The museum dismissals followed Bryan Seaver's own removal in September as security chief for Parton's properties and businesses. His departure led to a legal dispute after Parton's estate manager, Danny Nozell, accused him of making threatening overtures, which Seaver denied.
Those communications surfaced during ongoing legal proceedings over a temporary restraining order granted to the late singer's estate against Seaver. She's Alive LLC, which Nozell oversees, sought the restraining order after accusing Seaver of making threats involving violence and business sabotage that harmed the business and the people involved.
In a court filing last month reviewed by Page Six on October 13, Seaver said text messages described as threatening had been taken out of context during a dispute over a Nashville property linked to Parton's estate. He said he was texting in a private setting with Nozell, his longtime friend and Parton's manager.
Addressing past messages that referenced his experience in the military and with weapons, Seaver said in the court filing that Nozell had previously suggested he publicize his work in dealing arms. Seaver added that when he vowed to "destroy Dolly's brand partnerships," he meant business maneuvers rather than actual acts of violence. He admitted in the filing to cursing in the messages, which were sent around the time Parton died on August 25.
SongTeller Hotel complaints and $251,000 payment
Seaver said in the court filing that part of the conflict centered on an outstanding $251,000 payment to his company, Squadron Augmented Protection Services, for work at properties Parton owned. That payment has since been settled.
In the filing, Seaver also said he was upset about numerous problems linked to the SongTeller Hotel in Nashville, including safety infractions, delayed construction and guards he accused of sleeping and using marijuana while working. He stated that Parton had supported his "pressing" of Herschend Family Entertainment, the operator of the SongTeller Hotel and Dollywood, over those issues.
Seaver included in the filing a letter Parton wrote on November 11, 2024, calling his organization "very professional, very discreet, and very good at what they do," according to Page Six. In the letter, Parton said Seaver had long led her security team and that she wanted him to meet with the managers of the establishments before committing to a security firm.
Estate attorney departures and Joe Rogan interview talks
Seaver said in the court filing that he and Nozell sent each other friendlier texts after the messages previously called threatening in legal documents. According to the filing, Nozell and Seaver, who announced Parton's passing in a clip in August, also discussed the possibility of Seaver appearing on The Joe Rogan Experience for an interview.
In the filing, Seaver denied accusations to the court that his correspondence caused an estate attorney to quit their position with the trust. He claimed that Nozell informed him on September 10 that two estate attorneys had left their positions because the bank had been "taking everything over."
Impact of the restraining order on the Seaver family
Seaver told the court in his filing that the restraining order reaches too far, in some cases barring him 1,000 feet from family members who work with She's Alive LLC.
He added that the ongoing business dispute has attracted unwanted attention from reporters who have shown up at his home and contacted his relatives, including his wife's 96-year-old grandmother. According to Page Six, Seaver claimed in the filing that his 17-year-old son at one point put barbed wire near the entrance to the family home to ward off unwanted visitors. Seaver also said in the filing that a magnetized camera of unclear origin was recovered near his home.
