Princess Diaries heartthrob sued for elder abuse over gold coins

Kevin E G Perry Tue, October 20, 2026 at 5:28 PM UTC

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Erik von Detten, pictured in 2010, has been accused of elder abuse over the purchase of gold coins (Getty)

Former child star Erik von Detten has been sued for fraud and elder abuse over his involvement in the purchase of gold coins.

The San Diego-born actor, 44, is best known for his appearances as Josh Bryant in The Princess Diaries and for voicing Sid Phillips in the Toy Story franchise.

Alongside his voice acting career, von Detten also worked for Rosland Capital, a precious metals firm that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and liquidation in July 2026.

According to a new lawsuit seen by TMZ, von Detten and Rosland are being sued by an elderly couple, 85-year-old Sheila Greenberg and 97-year-old Norman Greenberg.

The couple say they called Rosland after seeing a television advertisement in 2020 and were put in touch with von Detten. According to court documents, they told von Detten they had about $2 million in their retirement fund and he encouraged them to use that money to buy gold coins.

Per the lawsuit, the Greenbergs claim they agreed to place two orders totaling around $1 million for Lady Liberty gold coins. They were not sent the coins, but instead were told they would be placed in storage.

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Shortly afterward, they allege von Detten made a second purchase for another $1 million worth of gold coins.

They also claim that they later learned the coins had been significantly marked up, and after spending $2.1 million they were left with coins worth around $1.3 million. They are suing for $900k in losses and are asking the court to impose punitive damages as well.

Rosland Capital filed for bankruptcy after the lawsuit was initially filed. Prior to the filing, the company advertised heavily on Fox News, with actor William Devane featuring prominently in their commercials.

The Greenbergs are not the only people trying to recover money from the company. In September, it was reported by local news station TMJ4 that a Wisconsin family are suing to recover $55,000 in life savings from Rosland.

Kathy Staffeil told the outlet that her 79-year-old sister Karen had learned about the company through a television advertisement. “People can’t go by television commercials. You can’t go by telephone calls. You can’t go by the internet. And now with AI it’s even worse,” said Staffeil.

In a statement regarding the case, Steve McFarland, President and CEO of the Los Angeles Better Business Bureau, issued a warning to those buying gold and other precious metals.

“When you prepay for gold that hasn’t been delivered, you don’t own gold — you own a promise. If the dealer goes bankrupt, that promise may be worth very little,” said McFarland.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”