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Dolly Parton's nephew wants more time before court hearing

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Published in Entertainment News

Dolly Parton's nephew has asked for a court hearing over a restraining order against him to be delayed.

The country legend passed away on 25 August at the age of 80, with her nephew Bryan Seaver later fired by her estate from his role as head of security and subjected to a restraining order by She's Alive - the company created to protect her affairs after her death - and now he has filed a motion requesting a hearing scheduled for 9 October be pushed back by around 10 days.

Bryan is representing himself in the matter and noted in the motion that "the defendant's lack any legal knowledge or skills to proceed in this matter without retained counsel or what, if any, challenges can or should be raised."

According to the New York Post's Page Six, the security expert claimed a lawyer he hopes to retain is unable to meet with him until 5 October, and insisted that he wouldn't raise an objection if the current restraining order period is extended until a potential new court date can take place.

The judge has yet to respond.

Dolly's manager, Danny Nozell, had filed for the restraining order on behalf of She's Alive, alleging Bryan had threatened him and attempted to extort him.

Bryan previously dismissed the case as a "publicity stunt".

Responding to the lawsuit, he told ABC News in a statement: "The restraining order is spurious and simply a publicity stunt."

He confirmed he had been fired, but added: "I was fired.

"After the estate negotiated with me and my company for services in perpetuity and agreed to that service provision from my company

"A week later they fired me for these contrived 'threats.'"

 

In documents obtained by People magazine, it was alleged Bryan began a "campaign of threats, intimidation, and coercion a few weeks prior to Ms. Parton's passing".

The filing continued: "In writing, he vowed to 'destroy the entire brand' and also told her entertainment attorney: "I'm not an entertainment person. I'm a killer.' "

In response, Bryan denied the allegations and insisted his text had been taken "out of context".

He added: "Dolly called me her killer. It was a joke we used around her camp.

"I was her 'baby boy ninja' and Danny Nozell took that text out of context to somehow imagine that I was threatening him. He's always called me The Killer."

The documents noted Dolly "loved and cared for her family very deeply," and felt strongly about employing members of her family who could fit with business needs, but in the weeks leading up to and after her death, Bryan allegedly launched a "campaign of threats, intimidation and coercion" and vowed to "inflict reputational and economic harm" on those tasked with protecting her legacy, including by launching a podcast specifically to ruin any brand partnerships unless he was paid.

He has been accused of making "threats of real-world violence" to staff, leading to his termination.

Bryan insisted he "never threatened anyone", adding: "They are my friends and my brothers and colleagues."

Following the news of his dismissal, Bryan and his team previously told TMZ they are "dismayed by the unexpected and, so far, unexplained actions" following Dolly's death.

They added: "We remain unshakably resolved to fulfil her final directive to protect her family, and we refuse to be intimidated by those whose actions we believe are being taken in bad faith and with the intent to profit from the life of someone who willingly gave so much."


 

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