Dolly Parton's nephew seeks dismissal of estate lawsuit in Nashville

Bryan Seaver, the nephew and former head of security for the late Dolly Parton, filed a formal request on Monday for a judge to dismiss a lawsuit brought by her estate. Seaver, who operates the security firm SAPS Squadron Augmented Protection Services LLC, submitted an 18-page response to the complaint filed by She's Alive LLC, the trust responsible for managing Parton's assets. The legal action seeks to throw out the claims that Seaver made threats and demanded money from the trust.

The estate originally filed the complaint on Sept. 22, one month after Parton's death. In the suit, She's Alive LLC alleged that Seaver created a culture of fear and engaged in outrageous or oppressive conduct. Seaver denied these characterizations in his Monday filing. He stated that the messages cited in the lawsuit were not intended as threats and did not have a chilling effect on anyone. The response specifically noted that some of the alleged threats received reactions such as HaHa from Danny Nozell, an executor on the trust and Parton's longtime manager.

The dispute has been marked by procedural friction. On Oct. 5, one month after the initial complaint, the estate filed a court document alleging that Seaver attempted to evade service of the lawsuit. The document described a no-trespassing sign in the front yard of Seaver's residence and barbed wire draped across the handrails leading to the front door. In September, a judge granted the estate a temporary restraining order against Seaver and his security company. The ruling found that they had shown a present and continuing disruption and threat to She's Alive.

Seaver said in a previous interview that the restraining order prevented him from speaking publicly about the case. Parton died in August following a brief battle with cancer, a condition her family described. Seaver announced his aunt's death in a video statement shared on social media at the time. Parton and her late husband, Carl Dean, who died last year, had no children.

Parton built a multimillion-dollar estate through her music catalog and her Dollywood amusement park. The next hearing in the case between She's Alive and Seaver is scheduled for Nov. 10. Parton's estate declined to comment when reached for this story, while ABC News has reached out to Seaver for additional comment.

The legal battle continues in Tennessee state court. Seaver's attorney argued that the premise of the lawsuit is incorrect. The trust manages the assets left behind by the country music icon. The case remains active as both sides prepare for the upcoming court date.