Princess Diaries Actor Erik von Detten Sued for Alleged Elder Abuse and Fraud
A married couple claims the former child star and his employer defrauded them of millions in precious metal investments.
Actor Erik von Detten is facing a lawsuit alleging fraud and elder abuse, filed by an elderly couple who claim they were defrauded of $2.1 million in precious metal investments. The legal documents, obtained by The Daily Mail, were filed at Los Angeles Superior Court on behalf of Sheila Greenberg, 85, and Norman Greenberg, 97.
The lawsuit names the 44-year-old actor and his former employer, Rosland Capital, a precious metal asset management firm that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in July. The Greenbergs allege that Rosland Capital, and by extension von Detten, targeted senior citizens by exploiting their financial vulnerabilities and fears through appeals to the stability of gold and other precious metals.
According to the lawsuit, the Greenbergs contacted Rosland Capital in 2020 after seeing a television advertisement. They were connected with von Detten, to whom they explained their limited knowledge of gold and their approximately $2 million in retirement accounts. The couple claims von Detten impressed them with his expertise and offered to assist them.
The Greenbergs allege they made two orders totaling around $1 million for Lady Liberty gold coins through von Detten. They claim the coins were never delivered but were sent to a storage facility. Shortly thereafter, they made another purchase of $1 million in coins. The couple later discovered that the purchased coins were significantly overvalued, allegedly marked at a substantial premium.
In total, the Greenbergs claim to have invested $2.1 million, with the coins allegedly only being worth $1.3 million. They are seeking $900,000 in damages to recover their losses, in addition to punitive damages. Representatives for von Detten, Rosland Capital, and the Greenbergs did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Rosland Capital filed for Chapter 11 liquidation bankruptcy in July, citing severe financial distress and numerous customer complaints and lawsuits. The company terminated its employees in June, the month prior to its bankruptcy filing. Its business model involved selling physical gold and other precious metals, as well as offering them as part of an IRA investment.
Von Detten, a former child actor, is widely recognized for his role as Josh Bryant in the 2001 film "The Princess Diaries." He also starred as Andy "Brink" Brinker in the 1998 Disney Channel film "Brink!" and played Clu Bell in the supernatural series "So Weird" from 1999 to 2001. His voice acting credits include the character Sid in "Toy Story" (1995) and Flynt the gorilla in Disney's "Tarzan" (1999).