Former Disney actor Erik von Detten, known for starring in the 1998 Disney Channel movie Brink! and playing Anne Hathaway’s romantic interest Josh Bryant in The Princess Diaries, faces a civil lawsuit accusing him of financial elder abuse and fraud tied to gold coin sales.
Sheila Greenberg, 85, and her husband Norman Greenberg, 97, of La Jolla, California, filed the complaint on May 11, 2026, in Los Angeles County Superior Court. They named von Detten and Rosland Capital LLC, the Los Angeles precious-metals firm where he worked as an account representative after largely leaving acting around 2010 and joining the company in 2018.
According to the lawsuit, the couple contacted Rosland in 2020 after seeing television ads promoting gold as protection against inflation and economic uncertainty. They say they told von Detten they had limited experience with precious metals but more than $2 million in traditional IRA savings and wanted guidance.
The Greenbergs allege von Detten recommended rolling over their retirement accounts into a gold IRA focused on Lady Liberty coins. Court documents state they paid roughly $2.15 million for coins later valued at about $1.36 million, claiming losses near $900,000. The physical coins were allegedly sent to a warehouse for storage rather than delivered to them. They further claim an additional roughly $114,000 investment through a family trust.
The complaint lists claims including violations of California’s Elder Abuse and Dependent Adult Civil Protection Act, fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, constructive fraud, and conversion. The couple seeks about $900,000 in compensatory damages plus punitive damages and a jury trial.
These remain allegations only. No court has ruled on liability, and the case is pending with a case management conference set for November 9, 2026. Von Detten has not publicly responded; outlets reported his representatives could not be immediately reached or declined comment.
Rosland Capital, which reported strong revenues earlier in the decade, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in July 2026, listing substantial liabilities against limited assets. Creditors’ committee filings in the bankruptcy have sought information from von Detten, describing patterns of similar customer experiences, though this is a separate proceeding and does not prove the Greenbergs’ claims.
The story underscores ongoing questions about high-pressure precious-metals marketing aimed at retirees and the challenges of recovering funds after a dealer’s collapse. What the court ultimately decides remains to be seen.
