Parton Estate Alleges Barbed-Wire Effort to Dodge Service

She's Alive LLC, led by Dolly Parton's longtime manager Danny Nozell, filed documents Oct. 5 in Davidson County Chancery Court opposing Bryan Seaver's request for more time to hire a lawyer. The estate said process servers tried three times before serving him by email, and that his porch eventually had a no-trespassing sign, barbed wire on the handrails, yellow caution tape and pumpkins. On the second attempt, four cars were in the driveway and no one answered. Chancellor I'Ashea L. Myles granted a temporary restraining order on Sept. 22 after reviewing Seaver's messages. The TRO bars him from within 1,000 feet of estate employees, attorneys and business partners and from estate property. It was set to expire Oct. 8; the estate sought an extension through the Oct. 9 hearing. The suit accuses Seaver of threats and extortion attempts. Seaver, who announced Parton's Aug. 25 death on her Instagram and was removed from his security role about a week before the suit, denies the threats, saying they were contrived or taken out of context to cast him as opposed to her legacy. He said he was fired after the estate negotiated services in perpetuity. The estate said the court should not reward evasion of service. Hearing is Oct. 9.