Dolly Parton's Estate Drops Lawsuit Against Her Nephew Bryan Seaver

Dolly Parton's Sister Freida Breaks Silence on Bryan Seaver Estate DramaDolly Parton's estate is clocking out of the family drama. More than a month after nephew Bryan Seaver was hit with a lawsuit from She's Alive LLC—a company run by Dolly's longtime manager Danny Nozell, established to protect her businesses after her August death—the organization filed to dismiss the suit, according to court documents obtained by The New York Times and People. The Nov. 5 notice of voluntary dismissal with the Chancery Court of Tennessee was filed without prejudice, so her estate could refile if it chooses. Following the dismissal filing, Seaver's attorney Dominic J. Leonardo emphasized that his client's love for Parton—who tapped her nephew to announce her death at age 80—was there each step of the way. "Mr. Seaver cares deeply about his Aunt Dolly, her music, her family, and the incredible legacy she left behind," he said in a statement to TMZ. "He has made a career out of protecting his aunt while she was alive and remains committed to Dolly and his entire family.""Mr. Seaver is grateful to put this misunderstanding behind him," the message continued, "so that the entire family can continue to grieve peacefully and ensure that the bright light of Dolly's legacy remains entirely untouched." E! News has reached out to Leonardo for comment and has not yet heard back. Seaver—who was fired from his longtime role shortly before the lawsuit and an additional temporary restraining order was filed and granted—was accused of embarking on an "obscene, deliberate, and escalating campaign of threats" before and after Parton's death to get money from her estate, according to the September lawsuit obtained by E! News. In one alleged instance detailed in the suit, her former head of security threatened to ruin a Dollywood business relationship. The message purportedly read, "I'm going to destroy the entire brand if you don't get these [Dollywood business partners] out of our bit."Getty Images; Dolly Parton/InstagramAnother exchange allegedly sent after the "Jolene" singer's death appeared to show Seaver threatening to start a podcast "dedicated to ruining Dolly's brand partnerships and telling the violations" people "have done on us." "It's going to be great," Seaver purportedly wrote to Nozell. "Or f--king pay me." Meanwhile, the temporary restraining order was granted, in which he was barred from contacting and coming within 1,000 feet of She's Alive employees and business partners, as well as entering company properties or interfering with business relationships In response to the request made by She's Alive to extend the restraining order in October, Seaver vehemently denied the accusations against him, though he acknowledged using harsh language in his interactions.Theo Wargo/Getty Images"They were sent in the course of private conversations between two friends," he argued in the October affidavit obtained by CBS News, "who were both frustrated, grieving, and discussing strategy following Ms. Parton's illness and death." He alleged the messages were not threats but rather a "private warning” about potential associates wanting to harm Parton's brand. "I have declined to speak with the media about this case and have asked my attorneys to handle all media communications," Seaver concluded in the doc. "I care about Ms. Parton, her music, her legacy, and her family. I do not want this dispute to harm her legacy." As the Parton family navigates this difficult chapter following the legendary singer's death, keep reading for a look back at her life.Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images1955Nancy Barr Brandon/MediaPunch/Shutterstock1960Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images1965Nancy Barr Brandon/MediaPunch/ShutterstockLate 1960sMichael Ochs Archives/Getty Images1974MediaPunch/Shutterstock1975NBC/NBCU Photo Bank1977Gary Null/NBC197720th Century Fox/Kobal/Shutterstock19809 to 5Universal/Kobal/Shutterstock1982The Best Little Whorehouse in TexasNBC/NBCU Photo Bank1989Tri-Star/Kobal/Shutterstock1989Steel MagnoliasPaul DrinkwaterNBC/NBCU Photo Bank1990Gary Null/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank1991Margaret Norton/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank1993Margaret Norton/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank1994Margaret Norton/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank1995Margaret Norton/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank1999NBC/NBCU Photo Bank1999Paul Drinkwater/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank2003Paul Drinkwater/NBCU Photo Bank2008Peter Kramer/NBC/NBC NewsWire2012Douglas Gorenstein/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank2014Peter Kramer/NBC/NBC NewsWire2014Paul Drinkwater/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank2015Quantrell Colbert/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank2015Virginia Sherwood/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank2016Andrew Lipovsky/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank2018Katherine Bomboy/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank2019Nathan Congleton/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank2019For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News App