‘Princess Diaries’ actor Erik von Detten faces lawsuit over $2.1 million gold deal

Erik von Detten faces an elder abuse and fraud lawsuit over alleged gold coin sales worth millions of dollars

The Princess Diaries actor Erik von Detten is facing a lawsuit alleging elder abuse and fraud over gold coin purchases worth millions of dollars.

An elderly California couple filed the lawsuit on May 11 in Los Angeles County Superior Court, naming von Detten, 44, and precious metals company Rosland Capital LLC as defendants, according to court documents reviewed by USA TODAY.

The plaintiffs, Sheila Greenberg, 85, and Norman Greenberg, 97, allege they spent approximately $2.1 million on gold coins that were worth only $1.3 million. They are seeking $900,000 in damages, recovery of their alleged losses and additional punitive damages.

According to the complaint, the couple first contacted Rosland Capital in 2020 after seeing a television advertisement. They were subsequently connected with von Detten, who works for the company as a broker.

The Greenbergs claim they disclosed having approximately $2 million in retirement accounts and limited knowledge of gold investments. They initially purchased Lady Liberty gold coins worth roughly $1 million, which were reportedly stored at Delaware Depository rather than delivered to them. The couple also alleges they paid recurring storage and account maintenance fees.

The lawsuit further claims von Detten later purchased approximately $1 million in additional coins on their behalf. The plaintiffs allege they eventually discovered substantial markups that left the coins worth significantly less than they had paid.

The complaint includes five claims against von Detten and Rosland Capital, including violations of California's elder abuse protection law, fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, constructive fraud and conversion. The defendants have not publicly responded to the allegations in the provided report. The case remains pending, and the plaintiffs have requested a jury trial.

Von Detten is best known for playing Josh Bryant opposite Anne Hathaway in the 2001 Disney film The Princess Diaries. His other credits include Brink!, the television series So Weird and voicing Sid in Toy Story.

The actor largely stepped away from Hollywood to pursue a career in finance at the age of 25, explaining in a 2021 interview that he wanted more consistent employment to support his family.