Is this a violation of privacy law?

A couple is renting a house where they have lived for 10 years. The rent is deposited monthly in a local bank account set up by the absentee landlady. The couple tries to communicate with the landlady by email whenver possible because they find it difficult to get off the phone because the landlady insists on sharing details of her many illness, the travails of her many adult children, gossiping about the neighbors, etc. She consistently offers too much information and is often inappropriate.

At one point, the rent was to have been deposited on a Friday but was not. The couple notified the landlady that the deposit would be made on Monday. The deposit was made on Monday, but after close of business, so it did not show up on the account balance until Tuesday. Monday night, the landlady called the in-laws of the newly married daughter of the couple. She told the in-laws, who she had never met or spoken to previously, of her concern about the late rent and said that if she did not hear from the couple immediately, she planned to evict them. The in-laws called their son, who told his new wife, who contacted her parents (the tenant couple), who were not aware of any attempts (by phone or email) to contact them at any point in this mess.

The couple phoned the landlady and expressed their displeasure at what had happened and insisted that the landlady phone the inlaws and apologize. The landlady phoned the couple's daughter instead and again went on and on about how the couple is behind in the rent. At no time did she apologize.

The couple made it clear that they were humiliated and embarrassed by this behavior. They made sure the landlady had both their email addresses and home phone (which is listed) in order to communicate with them. They told the landlady that she "had no business" sharing information of this sort with anybody.

A year passed. The rent was deposited one week past the due date. The landlady was notified by email that this was going to happen. The landlady called the elderly parents (who live 600 miles away) of the male tenant. She told the parents that their son was in arrears and was about to be evicted.

Has the landlady violated privacy laws by contacting parties with whom she has had no previous contact and has no authorization to contact? In neither case was the landlady given the information to contact the in-laws or the parents of the tenant. She gleaned the information from previous conversations with the couple.

Should the couple pursue a legal action and if so, to what end? They have given notice and plan to move in the near future.