Former Disney child star Erik Von Detten has been hit with a lawsuit accusing him of elder abuse and fraud.
Norman Greenberg, 97, and his wife Sheila Greenberg, 85, filed suit against the “Princess Diaries” actor and Rosland Capital, the precious metals company where Von Detten, 44, worked as a representative. The couple claims they suffered $900,000 in damages from their dealings with the organization, which they allege preyed on elderly citizens by stoking financial fears about market instability and pushing gold as a safe haven.
The Greenbergs state in court documents that they first reached out to Rosland Capital in 2020 after viewing one of its commercials. Von Detten subsequently spoke with the couple by phone and told them he possessed special knowledge about gold investments that could help them protect the roughly $2 million held in their retirement accounts, according to the filing.
The elderly pair ended up spending approximately $1 million on two Lady Liberty gold coins. Von Detten then allegedly invested another $1 million of their funds in additional coins, with all purchases supposedly stored in a warehouse. The Greenbergs now contend their total outlay of around $2.1 million yielded coins worth only $1.3 million, leaving them with substantial losses they are seeking to recover.
The lawsuit, filed months before Rosland Capital went bankrupt, requests compensation for the couple’s losses plus punitive damages. The company has since ceased operations.
Von Detten’s representative did not immediately respond to the outlet’s request for comment when reached Tuesday.
The actor began his association with Rosland Capital in 2018, the same year he married Angela, a real estate agent. The couple share three children: daughter Claire, 7, and sons Thomas, 5, and Nicholas, 3.
Von Detten’s entertainment career stretches back to 1992, when he launched with a 55-episode run on the daytime soap “Days of Our Lives.” He voiced the menacing Sid Phillips in Pixar’s 1995 blockbuster “Toy Story,” then anchored the Disney Channel original movie “Brink!” in 1998. Between 1999 and 2001, he appeared as Clu Bell on the Disney Channel series “So Weird” while simultaneously playing the bully Erwin Lawson on the animated “Recess” series from 1997 through 2001, including four direct-to-video follow-ups.
His most widely recognized live-action role came in 2001’s “The Princess Diaries,” where he portrayed Josh Bryant, the arrogant jock who briefly dates Mia Thermopolis before publicly humiliating her. The Garry Marshall film became a defining teen hit of the early 2000s and launched Anne Hathaway to stardom.
After largely stepping away from acting during the 2000s and 2010s, Von Detten returned to screens in 2024 with his first credited role in more than a decade, appearing in the Lifetime television movie “My Acting Coach Nightmare.”
The lawsuit marks a dramatic turn for the former child performer, whose wholesome Disney image from projects like “Brink!” and “Recess” contrasted sharply with the villainous Josh Bryant role that became his signature part. The Greenbergs’ allegations now place him at the center of a legal battle over the financial security of a nonagenarian couple who entrusted him with their retirement savings.
The case continues to move through the court system as the Greenbergs pursue recovery of their alleged losses.