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Caliuga Shark Media. The full contents of Durrec Verrett's book
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spirit Hacking hit Norwegian media like a bomb. What began
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as leaked excerpts turned into a nationwide discussion over what
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critics called dangerous medical misinformation. The book included passages suggesting
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that illnesses, including cancer, can arise from spiritual choices, with
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Norwegian media reporting that he implied even children might choose
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illness as part of their journey. The suggestion outraged advocacy groups.
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Norway's Children's Cancer Association condemned the claims, stating no child
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gives themselves cancer. One doctor didn't mince words to suggest
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that children choose cancer is both scientifically false and deeply
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hurtful to families dealing with pediatric cancer. This man is
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promoting dangerous lies while hiding behind royal connections. But the
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cancer claims were just the beginning. This is Crown and
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Controversy Norway's Royal Rebels Episode three Spirit Hacking scandal. Durex's
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views on women's sexuality shocked even liberal Norway. The book
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claimed that women who have too many sexual partners get
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spiritual contamination inside their vaginas. He offered special exercises to
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clean out these alleged impressions left by casual sex. Norwegian
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women's rights advocates exploded, these claims about women's bodies are
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not just unscientific, they're degrading and could contribute to shame
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around female sexuality. Norwegian publishers, who had initially shown interest
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in the book quickly backed away. The content was deemed
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too dangerous for Norwegian audiences, but the damage was done.
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The claims were already circulating through social media and alternative
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health communities. Marta Louise found herself defending the indefensible in
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interviews with Norwegian media. She attempted to distance herself from
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Durek's most extreme claims while still supporting him personally, saying
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Durek has his own experiences and beliefs and that he
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doesn't necessarily agree with everything he writes. This careful response
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satisfied no one. Critics argued that her royal status gave
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implicit endorsement to dangerous claims. Durek's supporters felt she wasn't
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fully backing her partner. The princess was caught in an
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impossible position. The international reaction was swift and brutal. British
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tabloids called her the Princess of pseudoscience. American cancer organizations
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condemned the royal connection to medical misinformation. European health officials
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worried about the spread of dangerous ideas through royal platforms.
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A Norwegian magazine decided to investigate directs spirit optimizer medallions
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more thoroughly. They sent a turquoise variant to SNTEF, one
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of Europe's largest independent research institutes, for scientific analysis. Researchers
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examined the medallions and found no evidence of special properties
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and declared there is nothing in these medallions that would
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have any medical effect. They appeared to be ordinary jewelry
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with no special properties whatsoever. The scientific debunking was devastating.
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Durex pricey medallions were revealed as worthless trinkets marketed with
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fraudulent health claims. Norwegian one consumer protection officials began investigating
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whether the marketing violated truth in advertising laws. Meanwhile, the
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couple's supporters organized online defense campaigns. They created social media
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groups and petitions supporting Marta Luis's right to her spiritual beliefs.
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Leave our Princess alone became their rallying cry, but medical
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professionals pushed back against this narrative. This isn't about spiritual beliefs,
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the Norwegian Medical Association president told Aftenposten. This is about
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protecting public health from claims that could discourage people from
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seeking life saving treatment. Foreign media coverage portrayed the scandal
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as emblematic of broader challenges facing European monarchies. How do
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ancient institutions maintain credibility when family members promote what experts
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call dangerous pseudoscience. Norwegian polling showed growing public concern about
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the the couple's activities. A majority of Norwegian's believed royal
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family members should not promote unproven medical treatments. The monarchy's
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approval ratings continued declining. Crown Prince Hakon faced increasing pressure
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to speak out more forcefully about his sister's activities. The
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future king was caught between family loyalty and institutional responsibility.
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His carefully diplomatic statements weren't satisfying critics who demanded decisive action.
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King Harold the Fifth and Queen Sonya watched helplessly as
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their daughter's romance consumed Norwegian headlines. The king, who had
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once modernised royal traditions by marrying a commoner, now faced
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challenges he'd never imagined. But the worst was yet to come.
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The world was about to face a global pandemic, and
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when COVID nineteen reached Norway in early twenty twenty, Durha
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would make claims that would push the royal family toward
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an unprecedented crisis. The virus arrived in Norway in March,
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and by summer twenty twenty two, it would personally test
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Direct's dangerous theories in the most dramatic way possible. When
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he contracted COVID nineteen during a visit to Norway, his
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response would create the biggest scandal yet. Hospitalized with dangerously
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low oxygen levels, Durek refused conventional medical treatment, no ventilator assistance,
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no medications. Instead, he put his faith in one of
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his own spirit optimizer medallions, the same trinkets that Sintef
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had scientifically proven were worthless jewelry. Durek reportedly said, what
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was interesting was that everyone told me I needed to
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be hospitalized, and the hospital told me that I needed
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to take all these chemicals. They wanted me to use
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a ventilator and stuff like that. I just said no
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because the spirits told me I had to go through this.
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When he recovered, Durek claimed complete vindication the medallion had
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cured him. He insisted, not modern medicine, not hospital protocols.
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A two hundred dollar piece of jewelry had defeated a
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global pandemic virus. The Norwegian medical establishment erupted with unprecedented fury,
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with the phrase and unscrupulous and dangerous charlatan being thrown around.
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The timing couldn't have been worse. Norway was still battling
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COVID nineteen, hospitals were overwhelmed, and here was someone connected
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to the royal family promoting medallions. As coronavirus cures, Medallion's
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sales exploded online, Desperate people facing the pandemic bought Durex's
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Spirit Optimizers, hoping for miraculous protection. Consumer protection officials in
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multiple countries launched investigations into his marketing claims. Crown Prince
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Hackn began making pointed public statements about following proper medical
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advice during the pandemic. King Harold the Fifth emphasized Norway's
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excellent health care system in remarks that seemed clearly directed
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at his future son in law. The royal family faced
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their darkest crisis. The COVID medallion scandal had pushed them
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beyond anything they'd ever imagined. International media portrayed Norway's monarchy
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as either dangerously gullible or criminally irresponsible. Princess Marta Luise
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stood at the center of the storm, defending a man
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whose claims had evolved from merely controversial to potentially deadly.
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The fairytale romance was about to force the most dramatic
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royal decision in Norwegian history. Next time, on Crown and Controversy,
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the royal family reaches their breaking point. Princess Marta Luise
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faces the ultimate choice between love and duty. Crown Prince
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Hakkun delivers a public ultimatum that shocks the nation, and
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as the COVID medallion scandal reaches international crisis levels, a
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princess must make the most difficult decision of her life.
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Choose the crown or choose the shaman. While no one
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truly knows what happens behind closed palace doors, this entertainment
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series uses new sources on the record, quotes, and some
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artistic license. Some moments have been dramatized for storytelling effect.
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A I narration was used in creation of this series.
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Keep up with royal families around the world. Follow our
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sister podcast, Palace Intrigue, a seven day a week, ten
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minute update on royalty and if you love royal stories
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like this one, be sure to check out Crown and Controversy,
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our deep dive series on the British royal family. Crown
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and Controversy. Norway's Royal Rebels is a production of Calaroga
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Shark Media Executive producers Mark Francis and John McDermott.