Stella Parton is pushing back against rumors of a family feud after her nephew was fired from his longtime role as Dolly Parton’s head of security.
The 77-year-old sister of the late country icon took to Facebook on Thursday to address speculation that has swirled since Bryan Seaver, Dolly’s nephew, was dismissed from his post on Sept. 16. Stella warned followers to be skeptical of online reports, writing that “regardless of what you may have seen on different news outlets, we are all doing what you would be doing under the same circumstances.”
“All families have the same struggles since we are all living in this world having a human experience,” Stella continued in her Facebook post. “We are still intact and moving forward because our children and grandchildren look to us for strength and guidance during this difficult time of loss and confusion for them as well.”
The family rift became public when reports said Sunday that Seaver and his security company had been terminated from protecting Dolly’s properties, including her Nashville home, museum, warehouse and additional holdings. A new security firm took over those duties immediately.
Seaver’s team fired back at the dismissal, telling the outlet they were “dismayed by the unexpected and, so far, unexplained actions” that followed Dolly’s death. They claimed changes were being made in “bad faith” and vowed to resist intimidation.
“We remain unshakably resolved to fulfill [Parton’s] 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,” the team added.
The conflict escalated further when Dolly’s longtime manager, Danny Nozell, filed a restraining order against Seaver on Tuesday. Nozell alleged that Seaver had been attempting to extort him for money and threatening him both before and after Dolly’s passing.
According to the filing, Nozell claimed Seaver invoked “his self-proclaimed military-contractor experience, access to weapons, and capacity for violence” to obtain funds. Nozell also alleged Seaver sent menacing messages, including one that read: “All I do is warfare … everyone needs to be worried about what I might do.”
In another alleged message, Seaver reportedly wrote: “Her money better be bigger than I can make elsewhere or I’m going to f–k everyone. I am about to become the hand of retribution for my entire family.”
Seaver disputed the characterization of these communications, saying that “nothing in this lawsuit were threats and most of the comments I stand by.” He described the exchanges as intimate conversations between grieving men.
“I was talking frankly in a private way with Danny who I thought was my friend and he fancies himself a gangster,” Seaver said. “A lot of these messages are two guys having rage talk and crying on the phone together while we were grieving.”
The restraining order, if granted, would bar Seaver from coming within 1,000 feet of Dolly’s Nashville offices and from participating in her business operations.
Amid the legal clash, Stella used her Thursday statement to redirect attention toward honoring her sister’s legacy. She revealed that a celebration in Dolly’s honor was scheduled for Friday, marking one month since the “I Will Always Love You” singer died on Aug. 25.
“Tomorrow will be one month since my big sister Dolly left us on this side of what is called reality,” Stella wrote. “I feel her presence now as much as always. Her light will never go out because the seeds of goodness she planted in all our lives will keep growing!”
Stella also noted the family was mourning a second recent loss: their brother Denver, a crane operator who died in July at age 82, less than a month before Dolly’s passing.
She concluded her Facebook message by thanking fans for their “outpouring of love” and their support of Dolly during the family’s dual grieving period.
“I thank you again for your support of her and your kind thoughts. God bless all of you and have a wonderful day!” Stella wrote.
Seaver had been the family member who announced Dolly’s death to the world via Instagram on Aug. 25, making his subsequent firing and the legal battle with Nozell all the more striking to observers.