Dolly Parton's cancer-stricken niece named estate's brand ambassador… as feud spirals with claim nephew Bryan Seaver was 'banned from CMAs tribute' to late country icon

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

The update was announced by Danielle in an Instagram reel shared this week, as the 50-year-old entrepreneur declared, 'I'm proud to be part of that legacy and to carry it on in my own way.'

She also noted in the caption, 'Being a Parton means hard work, big dreams and never forgetting where you came from.' 

In the brief clip, which featured a pre-recorded introduction from Dolly herself, Danielle said she is 'so grateful to help care for a legacy' that means 'so much' to her family and her aunt's fans.

A pilot and businesswoman, Danielle referred to herself as a 'girl boss' and vowed to honor Dolly's legacy.

It comes after the I Will Always Love You hitmaker died from cancer at age 80 on August 25.

Danielle said in the video that losing Dolly, who she lovingly referred to at Aunt Granny, 'changed something' for her. 

'It made me think of the stories, values, and lessons that she left behind, and the responsibility that our family has to care for them,' she shared.

She promised to 'never try and speak for Dolly,' but rather strive to tell her aunt's stories.

'I'm not crazy enough to try to fill her shoes. God knows I couldn't walk on them without killing myself,' Danielle added.

'What I can do is share the woman that I knew,' she said. 'I can tell some of the stories of her, the stories behind the global icon, and support the people carrying forward the work that she cared for and created to make sure what she built continues to bring people joy.'

Also this week, Danielle revealed she has been diagnosed with cancer, but caught it early.

'I'm going through a little bit of a cancer battle myself right now,' told Extra in an interview published on Thursday.

'I'm OK,' she assured correspondent Mona Kosar Abdi before explaining that her aunt Dolly took the news hard.

'I didn't know, like anybody else, what she was dealing with. I knew she was sick,' the singer's niece remembered. 'And so she was just devastated that I was going through it, and I remember telling her, I'm like, 'Look, you've gotta get it together. It ain't that deep. I just wanted you to know 'cause I was having a biopsy.''

She added about her beloved aunt, 'She worried more about everybody else before she would ever let you know anything was wrong with her.'

On Wednesday, Danielle attended CMA's I Will Always Love You: A Celebration of Dolly Parton tribute show.

Following the star-studded gathering, where Reba McEntire and Ella Langley performed, she wrote online, 'It was an honor to celebrate my Aunt Granny, who has inspired generations with her music, her kindness and her giving spirit. ❤️ Thank you, @cma, for a beautiful tribute.'

Meanwhile, Dolly's nephew Bryan Seaver was allegedly banned from the affair amid family tension.

Reacting to the tribute, he wrote on Facebook, 'What a beautiful tribute. I was not invited. Nor was my daughter, Dolly's songwriting, guitar-playing, claw hammer finger-pickin' progeny. The rest of my entire family was invited. A few attended. My kids and I were told not to attend. Such is life.'

In August, Dolly's death was confirmed in a video posted on Instagram by Seaver, who served as her head of security.

'This video announcement is something Dolly asked of me years ago before I fully absorbed it as a future reality,' Seaver said at the time.

He lauded his aunt for having 'lived in the light' and said she was now 'in the arms of Jesus' and the company of her late husband Carl Dean, as well as her parents and 'countless others who have watched her and longed to meet her in the heavens.'

In September, Dolly's estate was granted a temporary restraining order against Seaver following allegations that he made threats towards her manager Danny Nozell. 

Nozell, who managed Parton for over 20 years, took out the restraining order against Seaver under Parton's company She's Alive, LLC.

He claimed Seaver demanded money from him and began 'invoking his self-proclaimed military-contractor experience, access to weapons, and capacity for violence' while doing so. 

Seaver and SAPS must remain 1,000 feet away from She's Alive employees, lawyers, and business partners. Seaver and SAPS must also not interfere with She's Alive's business relationships.

In documents, Nozell told the court he fired Seaver from his position on September 15 as a result of the alleged threats, TMZ reported.  

Seaver said in a recent court filing reviewed by Page Six that the text messages he sent had been taken out of context.

Seaver said in the court filing that part of the conflict centered around an outstanding $251,000 payment that has since been settled to his company Squadron Augmented Protection Services, over services that were provided at properties Dolly owned.

He added that he was upset about numerous problems linked to the SongTeller Hotel in Nashville, ranging from safety infractions to delayed construction to guards he accused of sleeping and using marijuana while working.

Seaver claimed that Parton had been supportive of his 'pressing' of Herschend Family Entertainment, the operators of the SongTeller Hotel and Dollywood, over the aforementioned problems.

And he added a letter Parton penned on November 11, 2024 calling his organization 'very professional, very discreet, and very good at what they do,' according to the outlet.