Who is Durek Verrett, the Bizarre US Shaman Engaged to Norway’s Princess?

Norwegian Princess Martha Louise is set to wed her American boyfriend, Durek Verrett, in a memorable ceremony in Geiranger, commencing the celebrations on Thursday.

This will be the second marriage for Princess Martha Louise, the daughter of King Harald V and Queen Sonja. She has three daughters from her previous marriage to the late Ari Behn. The 52-year-old princess began dating shaman Durek Verrett, 49, in 2019. They announced their engagement in June 2022.

Verrett, a self-proclaimed third-generation shaman, has been a controversial figure for the Norwegian royal family. He has gained attention with his unconventional beliefs, including claims of not being fully human and possessing the ability to reverse aging by “turning atoms.”

When the couple first began dating, Verrett told a Scandinavian talk show that he and Princess Martha had encountered each other in a previous life. Later, in an interview with People Magazine, he claimed memories of ruling ancient Egypt as a pharaoh, with Martha Louise as his queen. On Instagram, he described himself as a “hybrid species of reptilian and Andromeda.”

Despite the media attention generated by his remarks, many Norwegians have dismissed them as harmless.

However, some of Verrett’s other beliefs have cast a darker shadow over the royal family. According to Norwegian journalist Ingeborg Senneset, Verrett has previously discussed “removing bad spirits from children.” Senneset told The Times, “In 2021 he left me a series of voice mails and tried to convince me of the existence of the Illuminati. It’s kind of important people know just how far out he actually is.”

In his 2019 book Spirit Hacking, which was later withdrawn by Norwegian publishers, Verrett suggested that children could get cancer simply by being unhappy. In an interview with an Irish newspaper, he also claimed that women retain “certain imprints” from multiple sexual partners that need to be “cleaned out” and added that he provides exercises for that.

Verrett’s financial schemes have also raised concerns. His website sells golden medallions claimed to ward off Covid-19 for $222. Norway’s state secretary of health, Ole Henrik Krat Bjørkholt, has called him an “unscrupulous and dangerous charlatan,” while Trygve Hegnar, editor-in-chief of the financial magazine Finansavisen, said that the shaman “should be in jail.”

Verrett, who is Black, has dismissed criticism, saying that his remarks have been taken out of context and misinterpreted by what he calls a “racist” Norwegian press. While Verrett has undeniably faced racist abuse on social media, historian Trond Noren Isaksen told The Times, “There is no doubt that he has received quite a lot of racist abuse on social media, and elsewhere, which is obviously unacceptable. But there are other reasons than the color of his skin for why people are critical—most Norwegians believe his claims to be humbug.”

Amid intense scrutiny of Verrett for his views, Princess Martha, who self-identifies as a clairvoyant, stepped back from her royal duties. “There’s been turmoil with me taking a different path. There’s been a lot of criticism, especially with me being spiritual; in Norway, that’s taboo,” Martha said, adding, “The Norwegian people, I guess, have decided it’s best for me to step down because of Durek’s views.”

Princess Martha runs her own alternative therapy center, Astarte Education, focusing on communication with angels and the dead. In 2019, the couple embarked on “The Princess and the Shaman” tour around five cities in Norway and Denmark, encouraging people to “expand their horizon” and providing tools for deeper self-understanding, according to the website’s description.

The couple will marry at a ceremony on Saturday, attended by celebrities including Gwyneth Paltrow, a friend of the couple. “His appeal is that he is both human and otherworldly,” Paltrow previously said of Verrett. “He receives hugs with the openness of a child. He’s disarming with big laughs but can tell you everything about yourself just by touching your arm.”

The wedding invitations indicate that the dress code for the ceremony is “sexy and cool.”

Newsweek has reached out to the couple via social media for comment.

Source: Newsweek, The Times, People Magazine