Durek Verrett
Durek Verrett | |
---|---|
Born | Derek David Verrett November 17, 1974 |
Occupation | Alternative therapist |
Spouse(s) |
Zaneta Marzalkova
(m. 2005; div. 2009) |
Partner | Hank Greenberg (2007–2015) |
Durek Verrett (born November 17, 1974, as Derek David Verrett) is an American conspiracy theorist,[2] convicted felon,[3] alternative therapist,[4][5] and self-professed shaman as a practitioner of Neoshamanism. He has been widely described by media and other observers as a conman and conspiracy theorist.[4][6][7][2]
Verrett dropped out of high school[8] and claims to have been a dancer, model, TV personality, poet, and choreographer.[9] He promotes various Neoshamanic practices rooted in New Age. In his book Spirit Hacking he promotes several pseudoscientific views.[2] He asserts that casual sex attracts subterranean spirits that make an impression on the inside of women's vaginas and offers exercises to "clean out" said vaginas;[10] he writes that children get cancer because they want it;[11] and suggests that chemotherapy does not work and is given to cancer patients only because doctors make money from it.[12] He promotes the Reptilian conspiracy theory, and has said that he considers himself to be a reptilian.[13] He regards 5G technology to be a conspiracy by "those who enslave the planet."[14] He claims that he had knowledge of the September 11 attacks two years before they happened, but chose not to intervene.[15][16] Verrett has been accused of manipulating his social media following, with critics calling his influencer career a fraud.[17][18]
Verrett previously lived openly as a gay man, and was in a long-term relationship with his male fiancé Hank Greenberg.[19] Greenberg and others have accused him of domestic abuse,[19] manipulative behavior and of being a cult leader,[20] while his mother Veruschka Urquhart disputed many of his claims about his background and called him "manipulative" and "dangerous."[21] In 2024, Verrett faced allegations of sexual assault from his former representative Joakim Boström.[22] In November 2024 Norwegian media published recordings of Verrett where he admitted to sexual assault and "sucking the cock" of his clients during shamanistic sessions, and claimed that Princess Märtha knew everything.[23][24] In 2024, he married Princess Märtha Louise of Norway, a self-described clairvoyant and member of the extended Norwegian royal family.[25] Verrett and Märtha Louise's relationship has been widely criticized by the Norwegian media and public. He remains an American citizen and resident, and is not royal.
Background
[edit]Immediate family
[edit]Verrett grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area town of Foster City, California, and legally changed his name to Durek Verrett in 2014.[26][27] Verrett's parents divorced in April 1977 when he was two years old.[28] When Verrett was three, his father married Verrett's stepmother, Geraldine Roy (1943–2009).[29]
In multiple 2019 interviews to publications including Vanity Fair, Verrett claimed he was raised by a wealthy architect father "with a private plane and domestic servants."[30] Several of Verrett's relatives contradict such claims, including his paternal aunt, singer Shirley Verrett, who said Verrett's father was a middle-class contractor who twice went bankrupt, and Verrett's stepmother was a customer service agent for Alaska Airlines.[31] United States census data shows Verrett's childhood neighborhood was considered lower middle class at the time.[32]
Verrett's ancestors were slaves in the New Orleans area at least since the early 19th century, where they continued to live and where Verrett's father was born. In the mid 20th century Verrett's grandparents moved to California with their children. Verrett has claimed that his mother, Sheilah G. Farmer (b. 1943), who goes by the alias Veruschka Urquhart,[33] is of Norwegian-West Indian[34][35] descent, although he has alternately described her as being of Native American heritage,[36] and he has also claimed "she was white."[37] He has sometimes claimed that his father, David Benjamin Verrett (1929–2017), was of African and Haitian origin, while at other times stating his father was "Native American Blackfoot Indian."[38]
In multiple interviews in 2022 and 2023, Verrett's mother described him as "ingratiating", "manipulative", "dangerous", and "prone to lying", and said she no longer has contact with him.[21][39] Also Verrett's sister Demi DeLaNuit has warned the public against her brother, and said he has threatened her, their mother and her daughter.[40]
Heritage
[edit]Verrett states that the most important figure in his shaman career is a woman named "Mamal," whom Verrett identifies as his great-grandmother and spirit guide, and who he says "was a powerful medicine woman from Ghana, where she worked in service to her tribe,"[36] and that she "fled Africa in the early 1800s when her tribe was invaded by the Dutch."[41] However, United States census records show that Eugenie "Mamal" Morel was not from Africa; she was born in 1862 in New Orleans, Louisiana,[42] where both of her parents were also born, and she was actually Verrett's great-great-grandmother.[43][44]
In a 2009 interview, Verrett claimed to be "born into the lineages of Haitian voodoo and indigenous Norwegian medicine".[45] However, his aunt Shirley Verrett's autobiography contradicts his claims, as she describes the Verrett family's strict Catholic and Seventh Day Adventist lineages, and refers to non-Christian practices such as voodoo by stating their family "strongly disapproved of anyone who practiced those negative arts."[46]
On his personal website from 2011 to 2020 he claimed to be a third-generation Shaman.[47] Since 2020, he changed his claim and began describing himself as a sixth-generation shaman.[48] In a 2023 interview, however, Verrett's mother stated that no shaman lineage exists in their family whatsoever, and that Verrett has fabricated such stories in an effort to boost his career.[49]
Career
[edit]Verrett dropped out of high school.[8] Verrett has claimed to have been initiated spiritually by an American woman who calls herself "Princess Susana von Radić of Croatia" (who is described by fact-checking site Vantrú as "a fraud who claims to be a princess.")[50][51]
At age 27, Verrett claims he had a near-death experience which was a pivotal “rite of passage to become a shaman."[52] In 2018, Verrett stated in multiple interviews that his near-death experience happened in Los Angeles, California, where a friend drove him to a local hospital. However, since 2019, Verrett has changed the story, stating that it occurred in a Belize jungle while he was with a medicine woman, and that he was transported to a hospital there via ambulance. In all versions of the story, Verrett claims he underwent emergency tracheotomy (surgical opening of the throat) and sternotomy (surgical opening of the chest).[53][54]
Media observers have pointed out that Verrett bears no scars on his throat or chest, which are always present after such invasive surgeries. In interviews and his own publications, Verrett has failed to identify any doctors or hospital staff who he claims saved his life, and whom he claims spent months nursing him back to health.[55]
In 2018 and 2019, Verrett claimed that he worked at Shamir Medical Center in Israel for several months during 1998, where he said he treated children for cancer using shamanistic methods. However, in 2019, the hospital's Human Resources department stated that Verrett never worked at the institution.[56]
In 2019, Verrett released a book titled Spirit Hacking which was set to be published in Norway. However, major publisher Cappelen Damm dropped the book a week prior to its scheduled publication over concerns about its content. The book was later released by a small publisher. In the book, Verrett advocates numerous "absurd medical theories."[57] He claims children get cancer because they want it,[11] and suggests that chemotherapy doesn't work and is only given to cancer patients because the doctors make money from it.[12][58]
He writes that casual sex attracts subterranean spirits that make an impression on the inside of women's vaginas; he also sells exercises to "clean out" said vaginas.[10] Verrett says that he can "turn atoms" and literally reduce age.[59] Cancer experts called Verrett's views on cancer "dangerous."[58] Major newspaper Dagbladet described the book as "the ravings of a lunatic."[60] Verdens Gang called the book "nonsense, garbage and dirty talk," and said it is an unoriginal "rehash of the standard repertoire of the most cynical part of the alternative [i.e. New Age] culture."[61]
Verrett claims to have had a limited career as a model and in appearances on television shows.[citation needed] Although Verrett publicly identified as gay prior to 2019,[62] Vanity Fair wrote about him identifying as bisexual since meeting Norway's Princess Märtha Louise and their activities to promote his brand of new age shamanism in celebrity circles.[34] Verrett claims that his "true mission is to bring the ancient practice of shamanism to the mainstream, helping people to 'get lit' by cultivating love and acceptance of themselves and others."[63] Verrett also claims to be a reincarnated Pharaoh from Egypt.[64]
In 2019, Verrett claimed that he had knowledge of the September 11 attacks two years before they happened, but that he chose not to intervene because he believes that everyone must "accept their destiny."[15][48] Verrett has also claimed that he has risen from the dead.[65]
In 2021, Verrett stated that he considers himself to be a reptilian, and asserted that, "I'm a hybrid species of reptilian and Andromeda, and I also hold the energies of the ancient spirits from the old world. There have been lies told about our species that I want to address. We are a cluster of beings, that means that we’ve come here to create structures that help people to come into liberation. Reptilians are here to shake up the system in a big way."[14][66] According to extremism researcher John Færseth, Verrett's ideas about being a reptilian are based on the Reptilian conspiracy theory advocated by British anti-Semite David Icke.[13][67] Verrett has stated that he considers the 5G technology to be a conspiracy by "those who enslave the planet."[14]
In December 2023, Verrett posted a controversial video on Instagram in which he claimed that demonic beings can inhabit children and torment them. Therefore, he advised parents to speak directly and loudly at troubled, aggressive, and acting-out children, commanding the dark spirits within them to come "into the light." Many observers consider Verrett's parenting advice to be a harmful encouragement of exorcism.[68]
MSN included Verrett as one of "20 famous conspiracy theorists" alongside David Icke and Alex Jones in a 2024 article.[69]
Legal problems
[edit]In 1991, Verrett was convicted of felony arson and trespassing and sentenced to five years of imprisonment in California after he illegally organized a party in an unoccupied house that was set on fire and burned to the ground.[70][3][71] Verrett has stated that he served one year in prison before being released on parole.[72][73][74][75]
In 1993, after Verrett was released from prison, he was arrested on three separate occasions in Santa Clara and San Mateo, California. He was charged with crimes including trespassing, theft of services, and riding public transportation without paying fares (fare evasion), for which he spent additional time in jail and was fined monetary penalties. Court records show that Verrett couldn't afford legal representation, so a public defender was appointed to represent him.[76][77][78][79]
In 2011, Verrett was accused of harassment, non-payment of rent, and making threats of murder and "black magic" in a lawsuit filed against him by his landlord in Los Angeles.[80][81]
In 2015, Verrett was arrested by the Los Angeles Police Department for domestic abuse after he attacked his then-fiancé Hank Greenberg at their home. Verrett was charged with assault and battery.[82] He later entered into a private agreement with Greenberg to not cooperate with prosecutors in exchange for monetary compensation. After Verrett was released from jail, Greenberg claims that Verrett reneged on their arrangement.[19]
In July 2022, Verrett advertised and sold a medallion that he claimed cures COVID-19. The Norwegian Consumer Ombudsman declared Verrett's undocumented claims to be a violation of Norwegian law.[83][84] As a result, in 2023, Verrett ceased selling that product and began selling another medallion for over 2,000 Norwegian kroner that he claims can cure dogs of various ailments, which has been criticized by the Norwegian Veterinary Association as not based on science.[85]
Personal life
[edit]In 2005, Verrett entered into a sham marriage with Zaneta Marzalkova, a Los Angeles resident of Czech nationality, when she was 21 years old.[86] In 2008, Marzalkova filed for divorce from Verrett, which was granted by Los Angeles Superior Court. Marzalkova claimed that the marriage was an illegal arrangement by Verrett, whom she paid to help her obtain a United States Green Card.[87] Verrett has claimed that Marzalkova "exploited" him, and that in 2008 he reported her to the immigration authorities as an illegal resident which caused her to be jailed and deported from the country.[88]
From 2007 to 2015, Verrett had a fiancé, a masseur named Hank Greenberg, who was also his business partner. In multiple interviews, Greenberg has described Verrett's true nature as manipulative and dangerous, and stated that Verrett has a "brainwashed" cult of followers where "his word is law."[20] In 2012, Verrett and his then-fiancé Greenberg started an Indiegogo crowdfunding page to raise money for Verrett's kidney transplant in which they stated that Verrett is HIV positive.[89][90] In 2015, Greenberg broke off their engagement after Verrett assaulted him in their home.[19]
For several years between 2012 and 2017, Verrett lived periodically with his then-manager Tiana Griego, who said, "Durek controlled my whole life. It was as if he became jealous of anything that stole his attention. I was not allowed to start a serious romantic relationship or raise my son. It was all about Durek."[91][92][93]
Sexual assault allegation
[edit]In 2024, Verrett faced allegations of sexual assault from his former representative Joakim Boström. Boström claimed that during a shamanistic session, Verrett engaged in inappropriate behavior, including touching his genital area without consent.[22][94] Boström said that "Durek is after power and position. That so few see through him is absolutely unbelievable."[95]
Relationship with Princess Märtha Louise and reception in Norway
[edit]Dating
[edit]In May 2019, Verrett began dating and professionally collaborating with Princess Märtha Louise of Norway. Their relationship has been heavily scrutinized, with many Norwegians voicing their disapproval and calling Verrett a "charlatan."[96][97] He has been characterized by Norwegian media and other critics as a conman and a conspiracy theorist,[4][5][6][98][50][99][100] and his statements on various topics have been widely criticized and ridiculed in Norway.[101][102][51]
The former Prime Minister of Norway Erna Solberg described Verrett's views as "very strange" and "not based on facts," and said that "the ideas that he promotes are something that we combat as conspiracy theories." Solberg further said the criticism of Verrett is reasonable.[103] State Secretary of the Norwegian Ministry of Health and Care Services, Ole Henrik Krat Bjørkholt, described Verrett as "an unscrupulous and dangerous charlatan" who engages in fraud.[104][7] In 2023, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre strongly condemned Verrett, calling his statements on child rearing "dangerous."[105]
In 2019, on his podcast "Ancient Wisdom Today," Verrett openly discussed his and his girlfriend's sex life and his techniques for controlling his orgasm to maximize partner satisfaction. He also offered sex advice in a webinar titled "Soul Sexual Webinar."[106][107][108][109][110]
In 2019, Verrett and Märtha Louise co-organised seminars titled "The Princess and the Shaman," which were widely criticised for the claims made by Verrett about healing cancer and for exploiting Märtha Louise's constitutional role as princess for a private business venture.[111][112][113][114] The newspaper iTromsø noted that Märtha Louise has faced extensive criticism for associating with a conspiracy theorist and over her "commercialization and abuse of the title 'princess'".[115]
Engagement and marriage
[edit]In June 2022, Märtha Louise announced that she and Verrett were engaged.[116] Verrett claimed that when he was a child his mother foresaw him marrying a Norwegian princess,[75] however, his mother publicly denied this as a fake story that Verrett created himself.[49]
In 2022, Aftenposten journalist Ingeborg Senneset wrote an open letter to Verrett, in which she addressed his habit of sending her voice messages, such as "Hey, my love" on Instagram and telling her that the "Illuminati" is real and that celebrities and powerful politicians corroborate his claims. Verrett subsequently blocked Senneset when she asked critical questions about his Illuminati claims.[117][118]
Both Verrett and Märtha Louise have complained about the negative reception of Verrett in Norway,[119][120] and Verrett claimed he was criticized because "people don't want a black man in the royal family."[121] Verrett said, "I have never experienced so much racism as when I came to Norway." He further said that he is misunderstood, comparing himself to "geniuses [like] Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison, the Wright brothers and Helen Keller."[122]
His claims of racism have been criticized, with former Norwegian cabinet minister Abid Raja (of Pakistani descent) accusing Verrett of "playing the race card" to distract from the criticism of his conspiracy theories and "dangerous" views. Comedian Jonna Støme, himself of African American descent, said that Verrett's claims undermine the real fight against racism and that people in Norway react negatively to Verrett because "he is a conman who says horrible things."[123][124]
The political editor of Nettavisen Erik Stephansen criticized Märtha Louise's complaints about the coverage of Verrett and herself, and wrote that she has "actively sought the spotlight with her entire family, exploited the princess title in every conceivable way – including commercially – and is now fully engaged in milking her own glamorous celebrity wedding in Geiranger for all it's worth."[125] Royal historian Trond Norén Isaksen said that "for the sake of the monarchy's integrity and reputation, it is absolutely necessary to sever the formal ties with Princess Märtha Louise" and that it is necessary "to revoke the princess title that Märtha Louise has exploited to its fullest extent. The royal family cannot be for sale."[126]
Verrett has claimed that he will be the first black person to become a part of a European royal family,[127] although Sudanese citizen Mary Nyanut Ring Machar married into the Austrian House of Habsburg in 1999;[128] Angela Brown married into the House of Liechtenstein in 2000; and Meghan Markle married into the British royal family in 2018. In October 2022, Crown Prince Haakon of Norway, Märtha Louise's brother, told Norwegian broadcaster NRK that the matter of Verrett's position in their family is difficult and will take time to solve.[129]
In November 2022, Märtha Louise relinquished her remaining royal duties to focus on her alternative medicine business with Verrett.[130]
In 2023, Verrett claimed that Märtha Louise's late ex-husband, Ari Behn, who died by suicide in 2019, had contacted him from beyond the grave.[131]
Verrett and Märtha Louise married on August 31, 2024.[132] Verrett and Märtha Louise sold the rights to the wedding to Hello! Magazine. Norwegian media described the wedding as "comical" and "embarrassing,"[133] sparking outrage over perceived greed and betrayal of Norwegian traditions and the taxpayers who fund the monarchy. The decision to conceal themselves in a plastic tent and behind a curtain to prevent anyone but tabloid photographers from "Hello!" magazine from capturing images of their wedding was widely criticized as a display of "shame and greed."[134] Norwegian media criticized King Harald V for legitimizing and endorsing the exploitation of national values and symbols for Märtha Louise's and Durek Verrett's personal financial gain.[135] Political scientist Torvald Valland Therkildsen described the royal family as a parody that is a source of embarrassment for Norway.[136]
Märtha Louise's antagonistic relationship with the media, stemming from the criticism over what critics describe as her commercial exploitation of the title "princess," led her to declare a boycott of Norwegian media in 2024.[137]
In August 2024 Verrett said that his relationship with Märtha Louise led to a rift between her and her closest friends. Verrett accused Märtha Louise's close friends of being racists. He said her friends had repeatedly called her and urged her to end the relationship with him.[138] In a subsequent interview that Verrett and Märtha Louise conducted together, Märtha Louise also said she had lost friends and accused them of "racism," echoing Verrett's claims against her former friends.[139]
Verrett and Märtha Louise have been criticized for exploiting her title and role as a member of the extended royal family, deliberately disregarding an agreement not to use the title "Princess" or her connection to the royal family in any commercial activities, interviews, or other public activities.[140] A majority of Norwegians favor the removal of her title.[141] Verrett's sister Demi DeLaNuit criticized Märtha Louise for abusing her title to intimidate DeLaNuit.[40]
Bergens Tidende questioned the claimed celebrity status of Verrett, describing him as "at best a D-list celebrity in Hollywood" and characterized the guest list at his wedding as more akin to an Alternative (New Age) Fair than Hollywood.[142]
Verrett has publicly criticized his family on social media, where he posted a negative comment about his mother and sister, accusing them of financial dependence and creating drama when he withdrew his financial support.[143]
Those who marry princesses are not themselves considered royal, and Märtha Louise's first husband Ari Behn was always considered a private citizen with no title or royal status. The royal family's website only mentioned him as the father of Märtha Louise's children.[144]
Reputation management
[edit]In 2024, Norwegian media reported on a covert, year-long reputation management project Verrett and Märtha Louise organized to improve Verrett's reputation ahead of their planned marriage. The couple hired conservative politician and lawyer John Christian Elden as a reputation management consultant in connection with this effort.[145]
Media
[edit]In March 2024, Verrett publicly complained that he is described in the media as a "self-professed" shaman and claimed that he was appointed as a shaman by the ghosts of his ancestors.[9] Verrett also requested that his alleged career activities as a dancer, model, TV personality, poet, and choreographer be included in online articles, although he offered no substantiation of such claims.[9]
In April 2024, Märtha Louise objected to public data indicating that Verrett didn't grow up wealthy, and claimed instead that everyone was jealous of his family's wealth. Royal correspondent Tove Taalsen questioned why Märtha Louise places such emphasis on Verrett's alleged wealth as a child, and wrote that it is out of touch with Norway's more egalitarian values.[146]
In 2024 it became known that Verrett had sent letters to his 81-year old mother and his sister threatening legal action against them due to their making public statements he perceived as non-flattering.[147][148][149]
Wikipedia
[edit]On behalf of the princess and her shaman, "reputation manager" Elden complained about the inclusion of quotations from former Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg that appear in the Wikipedia article about Verrett, in which she criticised Verrett for promoting "strange ideas" linked to conspiracy theories.[150] Lawyer and media law expert Jon Wessel-Aas publicly stated that it is futile to demand the removal of a correct quotation from a public statement by a prime minister,[150] and Norwegian media criticized Verrett and Märtha Louise for attempting to censor a former prime minister's freedom of speech.[151]
The political editor of Nettavisen, Erik Stephansen, wrote that "the revelation of Verrett's repeated attempts to change or remove unfavorable information from Wikipedia" is one of the most striking examples of attempts to hide unfortunate traces from the "con artist shaman's" past life.[125]
Social media
[edit]Durek Verrett has faced accusations of manipulating his Instagram account in the lead-up to his wedding. Media experts have suggested that the large spikes in followers and likes on Verrett's posts may indicate the purchase of fake engagement. The fluctuations in follower counts and likes deviate significantly from historical patterns, raising concerns about the authenticity of his social media activity.[17] Tove Taalesen wrote that Verrett's career as an "influencer" appears to be "one big fraud."[18]
Published work
[edit]- Spirit Hacking: Shamanic Keys to Reclaim Your Personal Power, Transform Yourself, and Light Up the World (Ed. St. Martin's Essentials, 2019).[152] ISBN 1250217105
References
[edit]- ^ "The Princess and the Shaman". Vanity Fair. November 12, 2020. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
- ^ a b c "The princess and the shaman: how a royal wedding is dividing Norway". The Times. August 24, 2024. Archived from the original on August 24, 2024. Retrieved August 30, 2024.
Durek Verrett, 49, is a Californian conspiracy theorist and self-declared shaman, or "spiritual guide", who claims not to be human and professes that he can reverse ageing by "turning atoms".
- ^ a b "A regal rift? The Norwegian royal family are set to avoid wedding photographs at the nuptials of Princess Märtha Louise and Duke Verrett next week". Tatler.
In 1991, Verrett was convicted of felony arson and trespassing and sentenced to five years imprisonment in California after he illegally organised a party in an unoccupied house that was set on fire and burned to the ground. In 1993, after he was released from prison, Verrett was arrested on three separate occasions and charged with crimes including trespassing, theft of services and fare evasion. He has also had charges of domestic abuse levelled against him.
- ^ a b c "Norway princess quits royal duties for alternative medicine". BBC. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
Verrett [has been] described as 'a charlatan', a conman and a conspiracy theorist
- ^ a b "Norwegians resist spell of Martha Louise's fiancé Durek Verrett". The Times. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
He is also a conspiracy theorist with unusual views on everything from cancer to Covid
- ^ a b "Norway princess gives up royal duties for life with 'shaman' fiance". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
Critics have called him a 'con man' and conspiracy theorist
- ^ a b "'An unscrupulous and dangerous charlatan': Major royals set to attend Princess Martha's controversial wedding to alleged 'conman'". Sky News. Retrieved August 30, 2024.
Verrett is often characterised by Norwegian media as a "conman" and "conspiracy theorist" and has also been accused of being a cult leader and selling bogus cancer cures
- ^ a b "The Shaman of Instagram". The New York Times. Retrieved September 1, 2024.
- ^ a b c "Her er punktene paret vil endre". Seher.no. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
- ^ a b "Sjaman Dureks bok stoppes". Aftenposten. Retrieved June 7, 2022.
- ^ a b "Sykepleiers bokanmeldelse stoppet sjaman Durek". Sykepleien. Retrieved June 12, 2022.
- ^ a b "Shaman Durek: what a scandi royal sees in Gwyneth Paltrow's guru". The Times. Retrieved June 12, 2022.
- ^ a b "Sjaman Durek Verrett står frem som reptil". ABC Nyheter. Retrieved June 7, 2022.
- ^ a b c "Durek Verrett erklærer seg selv som romvesen – og går til angrep på 5G-nettet: Prinsesse Märtha Louises kjæreste knytter seg til notorisk konspirasjonsteoretiker og antisemitt" [Durek Verrett proclaims himself to be a Reptilian – and attacks 5G: Princess Märtha Louise's boyfriend is associated with a notorious conspiracy theorist and anti-Semite]. Nettavisen. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
- ^ a b ""Jeg visste at Twin Towers kom til å falle to år før 9/11, men alle må akseptere sin egen skjebne"". Retrieved August 27, 2024.
- ^ "Royals, models, Netflix, and Gwyneth Paltrow? Who's who at the wedding of Princess Märtha Louise and Durek Verrett". Tatler. Retrieved August 30, 2024.
Many have called Durek a conspiracy theorist, citing his claim that he foresaw the September 11 attacks, but decided not to intervene, and his announcement in 2021 that he considers himself to be 'a hybrid species of reptilian and Andromeda'.
- ^ a b "Store avvik på Durek Verretts Instagram-konto". VG. Retrieved August 27, 2024.
- ^ a b "Durek Verrett kan ha lurt alle". Nettavisen. Retrieved November 23, 2024.
- ^ a b c d "Hank Greenberg om forholdet til Durek Verrett: – Kom meg heldigvis ut" [Hank Greenberg on his relationship with Durek Verrett: I was lucky to get out]. Nettavisen. Retrieved June 13, 2022.
- ^ a b "Verretts eks-kjæreste har mottatt trusler om søksmål etter uttalelser om Durek Verrett". Nettavisen. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
- ^ a b "Dureks mor: - Har brutt all kontakt". Dagbladet. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
- ^ a b "Anklager Durek for overgrep: – Virket helt bestemt på å overtale meg til sex". Nettavisen. Retrieved November 23, 2024.
- ^ "Sjaman Durek: Her innrømmer han alt". Seher. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
- ^ "Durek: - Märtha visste alt Märtha: Svarer ikke". Seher. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
- ^ "Vender Märtha ryggen: - Overrasker meg ikke". Dagbladet. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
- ^ Derek David Verrett (Petitioner), BS144833 Petition for Change of Name (Stanley Mosk Courthouse 2014-02-27).
- ^ "Alt du vil vite om sjaman Durek". MSN (in Norwegian). Retrieved September 14, 2023.
- ^ "California Divorce Index". Ancestry. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
- ^ "Nevada Marriage Index". Ancestry. Retrieved March 2, 2024.
- ^ "The Princess and the Shaman". Vanity Fair. November 12, 2020. Retrieved March 2, 2024.
- ^ "Ann Arbor's Own Shirley Verrett". The Ann Arbor News. May 3, 2001. p. 37.
- ^ "Bay Area Census / Foster City". BayAreaCensus.ca.gov. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
- ^ Durek's great-great-great-great-grandfather – born on a farm in Nøtterøy
- ^ a b Fox, Emily Jane (November 12, 2020). "The Princess and the Shaman". vanityfair.com. Conde Nast. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
- ^ "Sheilah G. Farmer". A. S. Johannessen & L. Haegland. May 26, 2019. Retrieved October 2, 2022.
- ^ a b Verrett, Durek (2019). Spirit Hacking. St Martins. p. 7.
- ^ Verrett, Durek (2019). Spirit Hacking. St Martins. p. 8.
- ^ Verrett, Durek (2019). Spirit Hacking. St Martins. p. 220.
- ^ "Moren advarer: - Han er farlig". Seher. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
- ^ a b "Trygler kong Harald om hjelp". Seher. Retrieved August 27, 2024.
- ^ Verrett, Durek (2019). Spirit Hacking. St Martins. pp. 219–220.
- ^ State of Louisiana, Secretary of State. Vital Records Indices: New Orleans, Louisiana Birth Records Index, 1790-1899, Volume 97. State of Louisiana Division of Archives, Records Management, and History. p. 894.
- ^ United States Federal Census: New Orleans 1880, United States census, 1880; United States National Archives and Records Administraion; roll 462, page 582a, line 24, enumeration district 051. Retrieved on 2024-04-17.
- ^ United States Federal Census: New Orleans Ward 7, United States census, 1900; United States National Archives and Records Administraion; roll 572, page 2, line 3, enumeration district 0065. Retrieved on 2024-04-17.
- ^ "LA People 2009: Urban Shaman — Durek Verrett - LA Weekly". March 5, 2021. Archived from the original on March 5, 2021. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ Verrett, Shirley (2003). I Never Walked Alone. John Wiley & Sons. pp. 4–6.
- ^ "About Durek". Shamandurek. Archived from the original on November 9, 2016. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ a b "Smålig skepsis mot den synske sjamanen som overlever døden og forutser terror" [Petty skepticism towards the psychic shaman who survives death and predicts terror]. Nettavisen. Retrieved June 7, 2022.
- ^ a b "Moren advarer: - Han er farlig" [The Mother Warns: He is Dangerous]. Retrieved March 1, 2024.
- ^ a b "Vantrú: The sham of the shaman". vantru.is.
- ^ a b Klausen, Aslaug Olette (May 14, 2019). "Kurerer kreft om den syke har sterk nok vilje til å helbrede seg selv". Fri tanke – nettavis for livssyn og livssynspolitikk.
- ^ Verrett, Durek (2019). Spirit Hacking. St Martins. pp. 1–14.
- ^ Williams, Jacob (March 17, 2019). "The Power of Actions". ShamanDurek. Retrieved March 1, 2024.
- ^ Michael Sandler (January 29, 2020). "Inspire Nation". inspirenationshow.com (Podcast). Michael Sandler. Retrieved April 23, 2024.
- ^ Verrett, Durek (2019). Spirit Hacking. St Martins. pp. 13–14.
- ^ "Israelsk sykehus avviser at sjaman Durek jobbet for dem". Nettavisen. Retrieved June 7, 2022.
- ^ "Trotz absurden Krebs-Theorien: Prinzessin Märtha Louise verteidigt ihren Schamlos-Schamanen". Retrieved June 12, 2022.
- ^ a b "Kreftlege: - Direkte farlige påstander". Dagbladet. Retrieved June 12, 2022.
- ^ "Märtha's shaman boyfriend says he can turn atoms". Retrieved June 7, 2022.
- ^ "Gal manns tale" [The ravings of a lunatic]. Dagbladet. Retrieved June 7, 2022.
- ^ "Sprøyt, svada og griseprat" [Nonsense, garbage and dirty talk]. VG. Retrieved June 7, 2022.
- ^ Falber, Matt (January 15, 2008). "The Urban Shaman". mattfalber.com. Frontiers Magazine. Retrieved April 23, 2024.
- ^ "Why shamanism is red hot right now: 12 things you need to know". Los Angeles Times. December 20, 2019. Archived from the original on December 20, 2019. Retrieved August 2, 2021.
- ^ "Durek Verrett om sitt tidligere liv: – Jeg var farao". ABC Nyheter. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
- ^ "Norway princess and US shaman's wedding begins after years of 'turmoil'". BBC. Retrieved August 29, 2024.
- ^ "Am Wochenende heiratet die Prinzessin Märtha Louise einen Hollywood-Schamanen – wie die norwegische Königsfamilie ihren guten Ruf verlor" [On the weekend, Princess Märtha Louise is marrying a Hollywood shaman – how the Norwegian royal family lost its good reputation]. Neue Zürcher Zeitung. Retrieved September 2, 2024. [Her future husband, the 49-year-old Verrett, is a [...] conspiracy theorist. [...] Verrett believes in the reptilian conspiracy theory and claims to be half human, half reptile. His book "Spirit Hacking" was boycotted by Norwegian publishers due to its baseless claims. In the book, Verrett argues that cancer in children is caused by dissatisfaction, that chemotherapy is ineffective, that sex outside a romantic relationship attracts spirits that harm the female reproductive organs, and that during the pandemic, he sold a medallion that supposedly repelled viruses.]
- ^ "Durek Verrett: – Jeg er en hybrid av reptil og Andromeda". NRK. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
- ^ "Durek Verrett slaktes etter ny video: – Et nytt bunnivå". Nettavisen. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
- ^ Callahan, Megan. "20 famous conspiracy theorists". MSN. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
- ^ "The royal rebel: Princess Märtha Louise of Norway and her controversial wedding to Durek Verrett". The Independent. Retrieved September 1, 2024.
Verrett, however, also has a criminal past. In 1991, he was convicted of felony arson and trespassing after organising an illegal party in an unoccupied house that was set on fire, and was sentenced to five years.
- ^ "Prinzessin Märtha Louise: Durek Verrett spricht über seine Zeit im Gefängnis" [Princess Märtha Louise: Durek Verrett talks about his time in prison]. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
- ^ "Einzelhaft & Zwangsjacke: Ihr Durek berichtet über traumatische Gefängniszeit". Bunte. Retrieved June 7, 2022.
- ^ "- Jeg satt et år i fengsel" [– I served one year in prison]. Retrieved June 7, 2022.
- ^ "Efter kæmpe tragedie: Nu er hun forlovet med udskældt shaman". Retrieved June 7, 2022.
- ^ a b "Der Verlobte von Prinzessin Märtha Louise von Norwegen sass im Gefängnis" [Princess Märtha Louise of Norway's fiancé served time in prison]. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
- ^ The People of the State of California vs. Derek David Verrett, 166432 (Superior Court of Santa Clara County 1993-08-09).
- ^ The People of the State of California vs. Derek David Verrett, NI237476 (South San Francisco Municipal Court 1993-07-07).
- ^ The People of the State of California vs. Derek David Verrett, 166432 (Municipal Court of Santa Clara 1993-05-05).
- ^ The People of the State of California vs. Derek David Verrett, B9310524 (Municipal Court of Santa Clara 1993-05-05).
- ^ Francis Cholle (Plaintiff) vs. Durek Verrett (Defendant), BC475669 (Superior Court of Los Angeles County, Stanley Mosk Courthouse 2011-12-21).
- ^ "Märthas kjæreste anklaget for trusler, trakassering og "svart magi"". Dagbladet. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
- ^ The People of the State of California vs. Derek David Verrett, 151504136 (Los Angeles Metropolitan Courthouse 2015-01-15).
- ^ "Durek Verrett hevder medaljong hjalp mot coronasykdom – selger den på egen nettside". VG. Retrieved July 29, 2022.
- ^ "Kraftige reaksjoner på Durek-medaljong: – Klin sprø" [Strong reactions to Durek medallion: – Clinically insane]. Nettavisen. Retrieved July 29, 2022.
- ^ AS, TV 2 (March 1, 2023). "Durek Verrett hevder medaljong kan hjelpe hunden din". TV 2.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Stampe, Keld (May 24, 2022). "Prinsesse føler sig udnyttet". www.nyheder.dk.
- ^ Marszalkova vs. Verrett, BD489359 204 (Los Angeles County, Stanley Mosk Courthouse 2008-07-10).
- ^ "Vært gift tidligere: - Utnyttet meg". Dagbladet. Retrieved June 7, 2022.
- ^ "A Generous Heart, Repaid". SooperArticles. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
- ^ "Operation Get Derek a Kidney". WebArchive. Archived from the original on February 4, 2012. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ "- Märtha og Durek truer meg med rettssak". Seher.no. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
- ^ "Märtha Louise och shamanen i ny pinsam skandal". Allt om kungligt. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
- ^ "Prinzessin Märtha Louise: Schwere Vorwürfe gegen Durek Verrett". Adelswelt. November 6, 2020. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
- ^ "- Han tok meg på penisen". Dagbladet. Retrieved November 23, 2024.
- ^ "- Durek Verrett befølte meg". Seher. Retrieved November 23, 2024.
- ^ "Prinses Märtha Louise (50) heeft zich verloofd met omstreden sjamaan Durek Verrett (47): een relatie die al heel wat 'hobbels' moest trotseren". Nieuwsblad. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
Vele Noren aanzien hem als een charlatan
[Many Norwegians regard him as a charlatan] - ^ "Eine norwegische Prinzessin und eine himmlische Beziehung". Allgäuer Zeitung. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
Was zu der Ungnade der norwegischen Öffentlichkeit hinzukommt: Der Zukünftige, Verrett, gilt als Scharlatan. Er vertritt verschiedene Verschwörungstheorien, gilt in den USA als Sex-Guru.
[Adding to the disfavour of the Norwegian public: the fiancé, Verrett, is considered a charlatan. He promotes various conspiracy theories and is considered a sex guru in the U.S.] - ^ "Durek Verrett er en svindler" [Durek Verrett is a conman]. Finansavisen. October 25, 2019.
- ^ Nordbø, Dagfinn. "Sjarlatan Durek" [Durek the charlatan]. Utrop. Retrieved June 7, 2022.
han er en svindler, en sjarlatan og en kvakksalver
[he is a conman, charlatan and quack] - ^ "Bizarre new details about Princess Martha Louise of Norway's wedding to alleged conman Durek Verrett". Sky News. Retrieved September 2, 2024.
- ^ Krøger, Cathrine (October 15, 2019). "Gal manns tale". Dagbladet.no.
- ^ Husøy, May Synnøve Rogne Eirik (May 13, 2019). "Märthas sjaman-kjæreste sier han kan snu atomer – fysikkprofessor kaller det "sludder"". Aftenposten.
- ^ "Erna Solberg til sjaman Durek: – Det må han tåle". TV2. Retrieved June 12, 2022.
- ^ "Statssekretær hardt ut mot Durek Verrett: − Umoralsk og forkastelig". VG. Archived from the original on July 31, 2022. Retrieved July 31, 2022.
- ^ "Jonas Gahr Støre ut mot Durek Verrett: – Ganske uforståelig". Nettavisen. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
- ^ Monsen, Julie Solberg, Rikke (October 11, 2019). "Sjaman-Durek overrasker med svært private sex-detaljer i egen podkast" [Shaman Durek surprises with very private sex details on his own podcast]. Nettavisen.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Eilertsen, Henriette (October 11, 2019). "Deler intime detaljer om sexlivet" [Shares intimate details about sex life]. dagbladet.no.
- ^ Eilertsen, Henriette (October 11, 2019). "Deler intime detaljer om sexlivet" [Shares intimate details about sex life]. Se og Hør.
- ^ Lorentzen, Arne-Petter (October 11, 2019). "Publiserte Dureks intime sex-detaljer om kjæresten – nå får avisene kjeft". www.abcnyheter.no.
- ^ Lorentzen, Arne-Petter (October 29, 2019). "Märtha om Dureks sexavsløringer: – Han har lært". www.abcnyheter.no.
- ^ Nikolaisen, Rudi (May 21, 2019). "Sjaman-svada fra Märtha og Durek". itromso.no.
- ^ Hirsti, Kristine (May 13, 2019). "Kritiserer 'The Princess and The Shaman': – Bruker rått det at hun er kongelig". NRK.
- ^ Fjeld, Johannes (May 13, 2019). "Fillerister "sjaman"-foredrag". Dagbladet.no.
- ^ Stephansen, Erik (October 17, 2019). "Nå er det blitt så pinlig at hele kongeriket rødmer". Nettavisen.
- ^ "Selvrettferdig og virkelighetsfjernt fra Märtha Louise". iTromsø. Retrieved February 16, 2023.
- ^ Cathrine Gonsholt Ighanian, Marthe Stoksvik, Camilla Norvik and Jørn Pettersen (June 7, 2022). "Prinsesse Märtha Louise og Durek Verrett er forlovet" (in Norwegian). Verdens Gang. Retrieved June 7, 2022.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "Åpent brev til sjaman Durek". Aftenposten. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
- ^ "Who is Durek Verrett? The Bizarre US Shaman Marrying Norway's Princess". msn.com. Retrieved September 1, 2024.
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
- ^ Thompson, Sophie (November 25, 2019). "Gwyneth Paltrow's spirit guide, Shaman Durek, shares his simple guide to re-centering yourself". Glamour UK. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
- ^ Bennett, Jessica (July 3, 2020). "The Shaman of Instagram". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
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- ^ "Durek Verrett om kritikken: − Jeg er fullstendig ferdig". VG. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
- ^ "Reagerer på Verrett-utspill: – Veldig leit at han lar rasismeaspektet ta så stor plass". Nettavisen. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
- ^ "Abid Raja raser mot Durek Verrett: – Det stemmer ikke". ABC Nyheter. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
- ^ a b Stephansen, Erik (April 19, 2024). "Kom deg ut av offerrollen, Märtha". Nettavisen.
- ^ "Det usynlige kongehuset". Aftenposten. Retrieved September 3, 2024.
- ^ "Durek Verrett: – Folk vil ikkje sjå ein svart mann i kongefamilien", NRK, 13 juni 2022
- ^ "Move Over, King Charles. Here Are Some Black Royals We All Should Know". Yahoo Lifestyle. May 5, 2023. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
- ^ NRK interview 2022-10-17
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- ^ Åpner opp om oppveksten, moren og rasismen: – Venner sa jeg var en narkolanger
- ^ "Prinsesse Märtha Louise og Durek Verrett i intervju: – Mye kritikk". Aftenposten. Retrieved August 26, 2024.
- ^ "- Brudd på avtalen". Retrieved August 25, 2024.
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- ^ "Hello! Er dette alt vi får? Marie Misund Bringslid Marie Misund Bringslid Kommentator i BT Slik det ser ut nå er gjestelisten mer Alternativmessen, enn Hollywood". Retrieved August 28, 2024.
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- ^ "- Sporet helt av". Dagbladet. Retrieved July 29, 2024.
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- ^ Barlow, Eve. "The Shaman and the Princess". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved August 2, 2021.
- 1974 births
- 21st-century American LGBTQ people
- African-American people
- African-American LGBTQ people
- 20th-century American criminals
- American conspiracy theorists
- American people of Haitian descent
- American prisoners and detainees
- LGBTQ people from California
- People from Sacramento, California
- American emigrants to Norway
- Living people
- Neoshamanism
- New Age writers
- Prisoners and detainees of the United States