Who Is Norwegian Princess Märtha Louise's Husband Durek Verrett?
Norwegian Princess Märtha Louise has tied the knot with an American self-professed shaman over the weekend and their wedding was plagued with controversy.
Princess Märtha Louise, the eldest child of King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway, marked her marriage to 49-year-old Durek Verrett at a ceremony in Geiranger, a popular tourist attraction in Geirangerfjord, Norway. The three-day festivity was attended by influencers and celebrities, while Norwegian and U.S. artists performed at the event, the Associated Press reported.
Who Is Princess Märtha Louise's Husband Durek Verrett?
Verrett is a self-proclaimed sixth-generation shaman who has written books on wellness and has appeared on the show "The Doctors."
"Shaman Durek is redefining what wellness means by putting the power back into the hands of the people, so that they may live consciously, authentically, and in alignment," his website indicated.
While he lists stars like Nina Dobrev and Gwyneth Paltrow as his clients, his teachings and publications have been controversial. In his 2019 book "Spirit Hacking: Shamanic Keys to Reclaim Your Personal Power, Transform Yourself, and Light Up the World," Verrett allegedly wrote that children get cancer because they're unhappy.
A Norwegian translation of the book was not published due to its controversial claims.
"When I read through the Norwegian translation and found the parties dealing with the causes of cancer and treatment, it became impossible to publish this book," Publishing Manager Knut Ola Ulvestad told a Norwegian newspaper at the time, per the Daily Mail.
"What Durek writes about, for example, is that when children have cancer, it's because they're unhappy and thinking about it, so yeah, I just don't have an adequate comment on this."
The shaman, who is also bisexual, started training to be a shaman at age 11. He also claims to have come back from the dead, the Daily Mail noted. He also allegedly said that cocaine is "a medicine."
Princess Märtha Louise Wedding Controversy
Märtha Louise and Verrett met through a mutual friend and have been dating since 2019.
Ahead of their wedding, the couple revealed that Hello! Magazine will have exclusive access to the wedding, angering Norwegian media and accusing them of breaking tradition.
The local press has regularly been given access to cover royal weddings, The Independent said.
Media were only allowed to take photos outside the ceremony and will be provided with one photo of the newlywed with their family, the outlet added.
Responding to the backlash, the princess posted on her Instagram account in April that they will "not comment on anything the press throws at us."
"We know that parts of the press will intensify with lies about us, as our wedding draws nearer. As we prepare for our Big Day, we are dedicated to taking care of each other, prioritizing our mental well-being and love for each other," Princess Märtha Louise wrote.
Verrett is the second husband of Princess Märtha Louise, who welcomed three daughters in her first marriage with author Ari Behn. The couple announced their separation in 2016, three years before Behn died by suicide in 2019.
