Former Disney heartthrob Erik von Detten, who stole hearts in The Princess Diaries and Brink!, is facing serious legal trouble after an elderly couple accused him of financial elder abuse and fraud involving more than $2 million in gold investments.
The 44-year-old actor, once one of Disney’s most recognizable young stars, has been named in a lawsuit filed by Norman Greenberg, 97, and his wife, Sheila Greenberg, 85. The couple alleges that von Detten and precious metals company Rosland Capital took advantage of their financial concerns and persuaded them to purchase gold coins at dramatically inflated prices.
According to court documents reported by TMZ on Tuesday, October 20, the Greenbergs claim they invested approximately $2.1 million in precious metals that were actually worth about $1.3 million.
Now, the couple is seeking substantial compensation, alleging at least $900,000 in financial damages.
The controversy dates back to 2020, when the Greenbergs reportedly saw a television commercial promoting Rosland Capital and contacted the company about protecting their retirement savings.
They were eventually connected with von Detten, who had joined the precious metals business in 2018 after largely stepping away from Hollywood.
According to the lawsuit, the couple told the former actor that they had little experience investing in gold but had more than $2 million in retirement accounts. They allege that von Detten presented himself as an experienced advisor who could help them protect their money.
The Greenbergs claim they trusted his recommendations and agreed to purchase large quantities of gold coins.
Their initial purchases reportedly included thousands of Lady Liberty gold coins purchased in two transactions during October and November 2020. The lawsuit alleges those coins were sold at prices approximately 60 percent above their market value.
Rather than taking possession of the coins, the couple says their purchases were placed in storage.
The lawsuit also describes additional precious metals purchases using money from a family trust in 2021.
The Greenbergs allege that they eventually discovered a substantial difference between what they had paid and the market value of their investments.
Their complaint accuses von Detten and Rosland Capital of financial elder abuse, fraud, constructive fraud, breach of fiduciary duty and conversion.
The couple is seeking compensation for their alleged losses, along with additional damages and interest.
Adding another twist to the case, Rosland Capital filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on July 2, 2026, just months after the Greenbergs filed their lawsuit in May.
The company’s financial collapse could complicate efforts to recover money, although the bankruptcy filing does not establish wrongdoing by von Detten or the business.
Attorneys representing Rosland Capital told E! News that they could not comment directly on the lawsuit. They said they were working with a creditors’ committee to establish a liquidating trust that could investigate claims involving the Greenbergs and other investors.
Von Detten has not publicly addressed the allegations, and the claims have not been proven in court.
For longtime Disney fans, the lawsuit represents an unexpected development involving an actor who was once a familiar face on television and movie screens.
Von Detten first gained recognition playing Nicholas Alamain on the daytime soap opera Days of Our Lives in the early 1990s. He later voiced the troublemaking Sid Phillips in Pixar’s 1995 blockbuster Toy Story.
He became a Disney Channel favorite with his starring role in the 1998 skating movie Brink! and appeared in the supernatural series So Weird.
One of his most memorable roles came in the 2001 romantic comedy The Princess Diaries, where he played Josh Bryant, the popular high school crush of Anne Hathaway’s character, Mia Thermopolis.
He also provided the voice of Erwin Lawson in the animated series Recess.
After his years as a teen idol, von Detten largely traded Hollywood for a quieter life outside the entertainment industry. He married real estate agent Angela in 2018, and the couple has three children.
Although he made a brief return to acting in the 2024 Lifetime thriller My Acting Coach Nightmare, his career in precious metals had become a significant part of his professional life.
The lawsuit now places that second career under scrutiny, with a couple in their 80s and 90s alleging that investments they believed would protect their retirement savings instead caused substantial financial harm.
The case remains unresolved, and it will be up to the courts to determine whether von Detten or Rosland Capital bears legal responsibility for the couple’s alleged losses.
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