Danielle Parton becomes brand ambassador for Dolly Parton's estate amid a legal fight

The appointment

Dolly Parton's niece Danielle Parton has been named brand ambassador of the late country icon's estate. ^[1]

The appointment comes while a legal dispute involving another family member continues. ^[2]

Danielle Parton announced the role in an Instagram reel, saying she is proud to be part of the legacy and to carry it on in her own way. ^[1]

What Danielle Parton said about the role

Danielle Parton said she would not try to speak for Dolly Parton and would instead tell her aunt's stories. ^[1] She also said she could not fill Dolly Parton's shoes and would instead share the woman she knew. ^[2]

She attended CMA's 'I Will Always Love You: A Celebration of Dolly Parton' tribute show on a Wednesday. ^[1]

Her health news

Danielle Parton revealed she has been diagnosed with cancer but caught it early. ^[1] She said she was going through a cancer battle and that she was OK. ^[1]

She also said Dolly Parton was devastated to learn she was undergoing a biopsy and had been dealing with a health scare. ^[1]

The dispute behind the announcement

Bryan Seaver is Dolly Parton's nephew and the son of her sister, Cassie Parton. ^[3] She's Alive, LLC (SAL), an entity Parton enlisted to protect and promote her brand, is run by her longtime manager Danny Nozell. ^[3] SAL filed the restraining order request against Seaver. ^[3]

Nozell sued Seaver and sought a restraining order, alleging Seaver interfered with business relationships through threats, intimidation, and coercion. ^[3] The SAL filing alleged Seaver began that campaign a few weeks before Parton's passing and accused him of threats of real-world violence against staff. ^[2]

The judge cited emails that appeared to pair threats with demands for payment. ^[3] SAL alleges Seaver wrote on August 19 that he would destroy the entire brand, about a week before Parton's death. ^[3]

Seaver allegedly wrote after Parton's death that he was an international arms dealer and mercenary. ^[3] Seaver told TMZ that nothing in the lawsuit were threats and that he stands by most of the comments. ^[3] He has fiercely denied the allegations against him. ^[2]

Seaver and his team said they were dismayed by unexplained actions that followed the singer's death, taking aim at manager Danny Nozell. ^[2]

Service, security and the properties

SAL said process servers attempted to serve Seaver with a summons three times, and the estate's lawyers accused him of attempting to evade service. ^[2] The filing alleged Seaver's residence had a no-trespassing sign and barbed wire across the handrails leading to the front door. ^[2]

Seaver and his security company were served with a termination notice to immediately vacate the Parton properties they had protected. ^[2] Those properties reportedly include Parton's Nashville home, museum, warehouse, and a downtown residence, and replacement security was reportedly dispatched to them. ^[2]

Court dates and filings

A judge granted Seaver's request and moved the hearing to October 20, over SAL's opposition. ^[2]

The estate's lawyers asked that the restraining order be converted into a permanent injunction because Seaver's security company missed a deadline to challenge it. ^[3]