[E-Daily Reporter Ryu junha ] A dispute over the estate of the late Dolly Parton, known as the “Queen of Country Music” in the U.S., is intensifying between her niece and her foundation. Parton, who was married to her husband Carl Dean for over 50 years, passed away last month without any children.

According to reports on the 23rd (local time) by U.S. daily newspapers such as The New York Times (NYT) and Variety, Parton’s foundation, “She’s Alive,” filed a lawsuit against Brian Seaver—the deceased’s nephew and former head of security—in the Nashville Chancery Court in Tennessee, alleging extortion and intimidation, and sought a restraining order.

The foundation stated, “(Seiber) began making threats several weeks before the deceased passed away, and they continued even after her death,” adding, “He targeted all of the foundation’s employees, lawyers, and business partners, saying he would ‘destroy the brand’ and ‘wipe out our partner companies.’”

In particular, he sent messages to Danny Nozel—a key figure at the foundation and Parton’s longtime manager—containing phrases such as, “I’m not a showbiz person; I’m a killer,” and “I have only knives and guns; I am the embodiment of retribution for my people.”

In addition, he reportedly demanded, “I’ll launch a podcast to ruin Dolly’s brand partnerships and expose the illegal acts committed against us—or give me money.”

In response, the foundation explained that it dismissed him from his position as head of security on the 15th and has now filed a lawsuit.

According to the complaint filed with the court, Seaver is the son of the late Patton’s younger sister, Kathy Patton, and had served as Patton’s chief security officer for about 20 years, succeeding his father, Larry Seaver.

He was also the family member who posted a video on social media last month to announce Parton’s passing. However, the foundation claimed that from the moment the deceased’s condition became critical, he had been continuously sending threatening messages to “She’s Alive,” demanding money.

Seaver, however, refuted this, stating, “Those messages were Danny’s lament—as a friend and brother—about the people who had been tormenting my aunt for years,” adding that his remarks came as he was conducting his own investigation into how the business was being managed before and after Parton’s death.