Danny Nozell, the longtime manager of late country music star Dolly Parton, has withdrawn a lawsuit against her nephew, Bryan Seaver, following a dispute involving alleged threats and attempted extortion against the singer’s estate.
Nozell filed the lawsuit in September, accusing Seaver of attempting to extort money from the estate, which oversees several business interests, including an amusement park, a hotel and a museum.
According to the Associated Press, Nozell filed a request on Thursday to dismiss the complaint against Seaver and his security company, Squadron Augmented Protection Services, in a Tennessee court.
The filing did not explain the reason for withdrawing the case but stated that the dismissal would be without prejudice, allowing the lawsuit to be brought again in the future.
Both Parties Reportedly Reach Agreement
The decision to withdraw the lawsuit came a day after another court filing indicated that the two sides had reached an agreement.
However, the terms of the reported agreement were not made public.
The development also came ahead of a scheduled Tuesday hearing to determine whether a temporary restraining order against Seaver and his security company should be extended.
The estate had obtained the restraining order in September after accusing Seaver of making threats against its business associates and employees.
Nephew Denies Threatening Estate Representatives
Court documents cited by US media, including The New York Times, contained allegations that Seaver had sent threatening messages during the dispute.
One of the messages reportedly included a warning that he would become “the hand of retribution for my entire family”.
Following the allegations, a judge ordered Seaver to stay away from the estate’s properties and refrain from interfering with its business operations.
However, Seaver denied threatening anyone, maintaining that his private messages had been taken out of context.
He also disputed the estate’s position, claiming that the disagreement centred on an outstanding payment of approximately $251,000 for security services he had provided.
Seaver Files Response Rejecting Allegations
According to ABC News, Seaver and his security company submitted an 18-page response to the allegations on Monday, denying the claims against them.
The response was filed three days before Nozell moved to withdraw the lawsuit.
Seaver had previously worked as Parton’s head of security for more than 20 years before his dismissal in September.
Dispute Involves Parton’s Business Estate
Parton, who died on August 25 at the age of 80 following what her family described as a brief battle with cancer, built an extensive entertainment and business empire throughout her career.
Her business interests include Dollywood, a popular theme park in Tennessee, alongside a hotel and a museum in Nashville.
Seaver is the son of Parton’s sister, Cassie, and had provided security services for his aunt for more than two decades before the family business dispute led to his dismissal.
