Dolly Parton’s nephew Bryan Seaver has reportedly lost the security post he held for two decades.
TMZ says Bryan received notice on Wednesday that another company would replace his security organisations. His firms had guarded Dolly’s Nashville home, museum and a warehouse. The replacement company sent personnel to all three properties that day.
Bryan’s camp quickly challenged the decision and its timing. People close to Bryan told TMZ they felt “dismayed by the unexpected and, so far, unexplained actions”.
His camp said it remained “unshakably resolved to fulfill her final directive to protect her family”. They alleged that others acted “with the intent to profit from the life of someone who willingly gave so much”.
Dolly Parton’s nephew Bryan Seaver’s camp challenges claimed decision-makers
People close to Bryan told TMZ they believed manager Danny Nozell and Pinnacle Bank drove the change. That belief remains an allegation from Bryan’s side.
The notice identified the DP Dean Trust as the body overseeing Dolly’s businesses and properties after her death. TMZ also reported that Bryan retains a personal interest in the trust.
The notice arrived less than a month after Dolly died aged 80. People close to Bryan linked their dismay to events following her August 25 death.
His representatives also framed their objection around what they described as Dolly’s final instruction to protect her family.
Bryan Seaver’s decades working for Dolly Parton
Bryan’s place in Dolly’s organisation grew from a long family relationship. His mother, Cassie, is Dolly’s sister.
He said he worked for his aunt across four decades and ran her security for the past two. His father, Larry, held the security job before him.
Bryan first travelled with Dolly as a child during the early 1980s. He said those trips introduced him to life on the road.
He also credited Dolly with creating opportunities for relatives, singers, songwriters, musicians and dreamers. His account connected the security role to a much longer family and working relationship.
View this post on Instagram
Dolly Parton’s death announcement and public tributes
Dolly chose Bryan to announce her death publicly. Bryan shared the news in a video after she died from cancer on August 25.
He spoke about her faith and said late husband Carl and other relatives would welcome her. Public honours have continued during the weeks since.
The Primetime Emmy Awards staged an expansive tribute featuring Reba McEntire and Sally Field last week.
The Metro Nashville Airport Authority Board of Commissioners also voted to rename Nashville International Airport in her memory.
The current security dispute now sits beside those tributes. Bryan’s camp continues to challenge the change and alleges improper motives behind it.
Read more: Dolly Parton’s savage two-word statement on why her marriage lasted 59 years
What do you think of this story? Leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and let us know.