Who is shaman and conspiracy theorist Durek Verrett, Princess Märtha Louise of Norway’s new husband?
Royal heads turned when it was announced that Princess Märtha Louise of Norway had married American self-proclaimed shaman, conspiracy theorist, and convicted felon Durek Verrett in a lavish ceremony allegedly attended by reality TV stars, influencers, and media personalities. Commencing on Saturday 31 August 2024 and taking place across several days, the wedding celebration was also graced with the presence of Martha’s parents, King Harald and Queen Sonja.
I’m always game for an unconventional love story, and I think it’s fair to say that the marriage between a Norwegian princess and a Californian shaman might just take the cake for the most iconic romance of 2024. Sorry Lana Del Rey, you’ve been trumped.
Generally considered one of Scandinavia’s most unconventional relationships, let’s unpack both the couple’s spiritual connection as well as why their wedding has received so much backlash.
Princess Märtha Louise and shaman Durek Verrett’s love story
The pair, who appear to be very much in love, first met in 2018 through a mutual friend. In 2022, Princess Märtha Louise, who has never been the most conventional royal, was encouraged by her family to renounce her duties. The primary reason for this likely has a lot to do with the fact that the princess, who considers herself a clairvoyant, has spent the last decade running a healing school where she taught people to commune with angels.
Indeed, both she and Verrett have built businesses off their spiritual gifts.
Who is Durek Verrett?
Durek Verrett, a man whose long list of controversies warrant its own Wikipedia page, has claimed that Hollywood stars such as Gwyneth Paltrow and Antonio Banderas are among his loyal followers and celebrate his teachings.
The shaman often promotes seminars and courses on his Instagram, charging people $35 to learn how to effectively communicate with spirits.
Verrett has received a lot of criticism over the years for some of the unfounded claims he has made. For example, in his 2019 book Spirit Hacking, the shaman wrote that children get cancer because they want it and that chemotherapy is only given to patients because doctors make money from it.
The 49-year-old also has made claims that he had knowledge about the 9/11 attacks two years before they occurred but chose not to intervene because everyone must accept their destiny.
Most recently, Verrett was at the centre of a sizable controversy in 2022 after advertising and selling a medallion that he claimed cured COVID-19. After it was declared that this was in direct violation of Norwegian law, Verrett ceased selling the product. Instead, he began selling a medallion that could allegedly cure dogs of various ailments—again, another lie.
There are also very real concerns about the princess’ safety considering the fact that, in 2015, Verrett served prison time following a domestic abuse incident with his former partner, Hank Greenberg.
Verrett has an extensive history of being both erratic and highly manipulative. And it’s evident that he frequently uses his so-called spiritual gifts to emotionally and financially take advantage of his followers.
Criticism of Princess Märtha Louise and Durek Verrett’s relationship
Verrett and the princess have faced extreme backlash regarding their relationship. The couple have contributed to an erosion of public support for the monarchy, from 81 per cent in 2017 to 68 per cent in 2024, a poll revealed this week.
Märtha Louise has been stringent in protecting her now-husband on social media and has regularly criticised the media for spreading “lies” and shaming the couple’s beliefs.
Announcing their engagement on Instagram back in June 2022, Verrett wrote: “I’m overjoyed with tears that I get to spend the rest of my life with the most pure hearted, angelic, wise, powerhouse woman who represents all levels of a goddess in my eyes. Together as a soulful spiritual couple, we will use our power to support the people to create a world based in love and acceptance. Changing the world through our love.”
While definitely royal in both stature and excess, there were elements of the wedding that felt very quintessentially early 2000s. For example, the pair’s decision to provide Hello! with exclusive rights to the event photos made the entire thing feel like a Scandinavian repeat of Posh and Becks’ wedding.
According to Metro, the couple’s decision to partner with Hello!, alongside also selling the film rights of the wedding to Netflix, was met with disdain from the public.
Evidently, fraternising with the tabloids is definitely not the Scandi way. Indeed, the deal also prompted protests from Norwegian media, which say the arrangement goes against local practices. However, it’s clear that this couple has no intention of following anyone’s rules but their own.
