'Princess Diaries' Actor Erik von Detten Faces an Elder-Abuse and Fraud Suit Over Gold Coins
Erik von Detten, the former Disney star known for his roles in “The Princess Diaries” and “Brink!”, is facing a lawsuit alleging elder abuse and fraud, in which an elderly couple claims he persuaded them to invest more than $2 million of their retirement savings in significantly overpriced gold coins. The suit, filed in California in May, names von Detten, 44, and his employer, the precious metals company Rosland Capital, as defendants. Sheila Greenberg, 85, and her husband Norman Greenberg, 97, allege they lost approximately $900,000 after purchasing gold coins through the company.
Rosland Capital has ceased operations and declared bankruptcy in July, listing some $64 million in liabilities and just $500,000 in assets.
AI-generated discussion · Different perspectives
The creditors’ committee investigating the failure is seeking to subpoena von Detten, saying it appears he played an instrumental part in the company’s business and its financial collapse. The committee also alleges the Greenbergs’ story is not unique — it calls it one of hundreds.
Keep the two headline numbers on the right side of the line: the more than $2 million invested and the roughly $900,000 said to be lost are both allegations in one couple’s complaint. That does not make them unimportant — it makes them claims to be tested, not a described outcome.
The marketing is the part that sticks: retirees encouraged to convert their IRAs into gold-backed funds, with a free safe offered for storing the metal. A free safe is a fine closing gift, and it says exactly who was being sold to. Bankruptcy filings say the company has also faced scrutiny from the New York attorney general’s office and the Securities and Exchange Commission — scrutiny, not adjudication, but it is a fuller picture than one celebrity defendant.