NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Dolly Parton’s nephew wants more time to get a lawyer in place to defend himself against a temporary restraining order granted to her estate against him and his security company.
Representing himself, Bryan Seaver filed a motion Friday in a Tennessee court asking that a hearing on the order now set for Oct. 9 be delayed by about 10 days.
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The serious rift in the country music legend's circle opened and spilled into public view weeks after her Aug. 25 death. She's Alive, the entity founded to manage and protect her estate, accused Seaver in a court petition of threatening to commit violence and destroy Parton’s legacy and business empire. She's Alive is run by Parton's longtime manager Danny Nozell.
The petition names Seaver — who was handpicked by the star to announce her death from cancer — and his company, Squadron Augmented Protection Services.
Seaver's new motion says “the defendants lack any legal knowledge or skills to proceed in this matter without retained counsel or what, if any, challenges can or should be raised.” It says the delay is necessary because the lawyer he wants to represent him cannot meet with him until Monday, and says he won't object to the restraining order being extended until a new hearing date.
Chancellor I’Ashea L. Myles, the judge overseeing the case, has not yet replied to Seaver's motion. In granting the restraining order, she said the court took into account the repeated threats cited in the complaint, as well as the alleged demands for payment and Seaver’s “claimed access to weapons, experience with violence, and intention to retaliate.”
In the petition and other court documents filed by She’s Alive, Seaver is accused of sending increasingly threatening messages starting just before Parton's death. She’s Alive terminated Seaver and SAPS in the week before the petition, saying his “terrorizing conduct made their continued retention untenable.”
Seaver has not responded to email and phone messages from The Associated Press seeking comment.
Parton was a widely beloved country music giant, philanthropist and cultural icon who wrote hundreds of songs, including classics like “Jolene,” “Coat of Many Colors” and “I Will Always Love You,” that earned a total of more than 100 million worldwide sales and more than 1 billion online streams.
