1. When Princess Met Shaman

0:03 Kalaruga Shark Media. The year was twenty eighteen. In the glittering world of Hollywood's spiritual elite, where celebrities seek enlightenment between red carpet appearances, one man had carved out an extraordinary niche Derek David Verrett from Sacramento, California, had transformed himself into Shaman Durek, describing himself as a sixth generation healer whose client list reportedly included aless stars. But nothing could have prepared this controversial spiritual guide for the encounter that would rock a monarchy. Three thousand miles away in the royal palaces of Norway, Princess Marta Luise was on her own spiritual journey. The daughter of King Harold fifth, had always been different from other royals. While her brother, the crown Prince Hakon, prepared for his future throne, Marta Luise claimed to communicate with angels, ran alternative therapy sessions, and openly embraced beliefs that made Norway's famously secular society deeply uncomfortable. This is Crown and Controversy Norway's Royal Rebels Episode one, when the Princess met the Shaman, their worlds collided through mutual friends in the entertainment industry. Marta Luise,

1:33 who had been exploring spiritual practices for years, was intrigued by this charismatic American who made extraordinary healing claims. Durek would later admit he was initially hesitant about pursuing romance, saying she fell in love with me first. I was a little apprehensive because I thought, maybe I'm going to end up with a man. As far as I'm concerned, it doesn't matter if it's a male or a female, or it could be another being from another planet. For Princess Marta Luise, the attraction was immediate and profound. Here was someone who didn't just tolerate her spiritual beliefs, he lived them as deeply as she did. After her divorce from author Ari Bain in twenty seventeen, following fourteen years of marriage, she had been rebuilding her life as a single mother to three daughters. Her spiritual practices had become even more important during this period of transition. Durek represented something she had never encountered before, a partner who could match her mystical interests while bringing his own extraordinary claims to their relationship. In his book spirit Hacking and various interviews, he claimed to be part reptilian, part alien. He said he possessed the ability to reverse aging by turning atoms.

2:55 He spoke publicly of past lives as an Egyptian pharaoh and connections to ancient Atlantean technology. The early stages of their relationship unfolded quietly, away from public scrutiny. Durek would fly to Norway for private visits. Friends described the princess as appearing happier during this period, though the specific reasons weren't publicly known at the time. She seemed more energetic about her spiritual work and was traveling more frequently. As their relationship deepened throughout twenty eighteen, the couple faced logistical challenges.

3:36 Durek had built his reputation and income around his Los Angeles based healing work, Marta Luise had royal duties in Norway and three school aged children who needed stability. The solution they chose was a long distance relationship with frequent visits. Durek would fly to Norway for extended stays, while Marta Luise would travel to California to immerse herself in his spiritual world. During these California visits, Martin Luise was introduced to direct circle of celebrity clients and spiritual seekers. She attended his healing sessions and workshops, where clients reportedly paid hundreds of dollars per session. She observed him selling various spiritual products, crystals, meditation tools, and the medallions that would later become controversial. Durek would share details about his beliefs during interviews given years later. He claimed to be in contact with beings from other dimensions. He stated that he could see people's past lives and predict their futures. In his book and interviews, he spoke about what he described as government conspiracies involving five G technology and what he called those who enslaved the planet. Pallace sources suggested that courtiers were beginning to notice changes in the princess during this period. She seemed more excited about her spiritual work

5:07 and was spending longer periods away from her royal duties, though the specific reasons weren't yet known to palace staff. King Harold the Fifth and Queen Sonya were reportedly optimistic about their daughter's apparent happiness during this time. They didn't yet know the details of her new relationship, but could observe that something in her personal life was bringing her joy. Crown Prince Hakkun was more skeptical about his sister's increasingly unconventional spiritual pursuits. Her alternative therapy center a start at education was already causing discussion within royal circles. Adding a new romantic relationship to the mix seemed potentially problematic to the future king. As twenty eighteen drew to a close, both Marta Luise and Derek found themselves at a crossroads.

6:09 Their relationship was becoming more serious, but it remained a secret from the Norwegian public and largely unknown even within royal circles. They knew that eventually, if the relationship continued, they would need to make it public. They spent the Christmas holidays of twenty eighteen together in Norway, with durrect meeting Mata Luis's family for the first time in a formal capacity. The meeting was cordial but tentative. King Harold the Fifth and Queen Sonya were polite but reserved, trying to understand this charismatic American who had captured their daughter's heart.

6:50 Crown Prince Hakon was more direct in his skepticism, asking pointed questions about Durek's background and spiritual practices. The future king had done his research and was concerned about some of the claims associated with his sister's new boyfriend, but Marta Luise was determined to make the relationship work. She believed she had found her soulmate, someone who understood her spiritual gifts and supported her unconventional path. The fact that he was controversial only seemed to strengthen her resolve. She had always been the rebellious royal, the one who challenged conventions and pushed boundaries. What she didn't yet realize was that Direct's controversies went far beyond unconventional spiritual beliefs. His claims about healing serious medical conditions, his promotion of products with unproven health benefits, and his dismissal of conventional medicine would soon put her in an impossible position. As they planned for the new year, both Marta Luise and Derek knew that twenty nineteen would be the year they would have to go public with their relation relationship. The secrecy was becoming difficult to maintain, and both felt ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead. They had no idea that going public would unleash a media firestorm that would consume Norwegian headlines for years to come, threaten the stability of the royal family, and ultimately force a princess to choose

8:22 between love and duty in the most dramatic royal crisis in modern Norwegian history. But who was Derrick David Verett before he became Shamandurek Born November seventeenth, nineteen seventy four. He grew up in Foster City, California, in what he claimed was a wealthy family with deep Shamanic traditions, but Norwegian investigators would later discover that almost everything about his past was complicated. Some family members publicly disputed aspects of his personal history. His claims of privileged upbringing faced scrutiny when relatives spoke to press outlets. His assertions about Norwegian West Indian heritage through his mother, varushka Urquat appeared to shift depending on the audience. Sometimes she was described as Native American, sometimes white, sometimes West Indian. His father's ancestry also seemed fluid in his telling, sometimes described as African and Haitian, other times claimed as Native American Blackfoot. The transformation from Derek to Durek happened gradually. Court records show he legally changed his name to Durek Verret in twenty fourteen.

9:41 His website originally claimed he was a third generation shaman. Later versions upgraded this to sixth generation. His rise in Hollywood's spiritual circles seemed meteoric. By his own account, he built a practice serving wealthy clients seeking alternative healing methods. His website advertised sessions costing fifteen hundred dollars for a one hour virtual private consultation. Durek sold various spiritual products alongside his healing services, crystals, meditation tools, and what he called spirit optimizers medallions that he claimed were imbued with frequencies and energies that connect to the spirit world and to the physical world. The celebrity endorsements seemed to validate his approach. Gwyneth Paltrow was reported as among his clients, though the specific details of their professional relationship haven't been publicly disclosed. These high profile associations helped build his reputation as a shaman to the stars, but beneath the glamorous facade, troubling questions were emerging about his background and credentials. His claimed shamanic lineage couldn't be independently verify. His stories about studying with indigenous healers worldwide lack specific details that could be confirmed. Most concerning were the extraordinary claims he made

11:12 about his abilities and background in his book spirit Hacking and various interviews. He claimed to have worked at Shamer Medical Center in Israel, treating children for cancer using shamanic methods. However, the hospital denied that he had ever worked there. He also claimed to be a reincarnated pharaoh from Egypt. These claims, while perhaps meaningful to spiritual believers, raised questions among skeptics about his credibility. The stage was set for one of the most extraordinary and controversial royal romances of the twenty first century. A princess who claimed to talk to angels had fallen in love with a shaman who claimed to be part alien. Therefore, fairytale was about to become a nightmare that would test the very foundations of the Norwegian monarchy.

12:06 But on those quiet winter evenings in twenty eighteen, as they walked through the snow covered grounds of her estate and planned their future together. Marta Luise and Durek believed that love would be enough to overcome any obstacle. They were about to discover just how wrong they were. Next time on Crown and Controversy, Princess Marta Luise and her American shaman go public with their relationship. Norwegian media explodes with coverage of the royal romance. The Princess and the Shaman tour across Norway faces protests and cancelations. Medical professionals sound alarms about dangerous healing claims, and as the controversy reaches fever, pitch leaked excerpts from Durek's book reveals shocking claims about cancer, children and women's bodies that will horrify the Norwegian medical establishment. While no one truly knows what happens behind closed palace doors, This entertainment series uses news sources, on the record, quotes, and some artistic license. Some moments have been dramatized for storytelling effect. A I narration was

13:39 used in creation of this series. To keep up with royal families around the world. Follow our sister podcast, Palace Intrigue, a seven day a week, ten minute update on Royalty and if you love royal stories like this one, be sure to check out Crown and Controversy, our deep dive series on the British royal family. Crown and Controversy Norway's Royal Rebels is a production of Calaogua Shark Media executive producers Mark Francis and John MacDermott