[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 his wife Princess Märtha Louise of Norway knew everything.

The Verrett controversies, along with the Marius Borg Høiby affair, have been cited as reasons for a "decimation of the Norwegian royal family's reputation,"[26] leading to a more vigorous debate on the future of the monarchy.

[32] 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.

1943), who goes by the alias Veruschka Urquhart,[36] is of Norwegian-West Indian[37][38] descent, although he has alternately described her as being of Native American heritage,[39] and he has also claimed "she was white.

"[55] 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.

[58] 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.

"[63] 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.

[37] 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.

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."

[71] 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.

[78][79][80][81] 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.

[82][83] 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.

Marzalkova claimed that the marriage was an illegal arrangement by Verrett, whom she paid to help her obtain a United States Green Card.

[89] 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.

Boström claimed that during a shamanistic session, Verrett engaged in inappropriate behavior, including touching his genital area without consent.

[103][104][54] 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."

[105] 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.

[106][7] In 2023, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre strongly condemned Verrett, calling his statements on child rearing "dangerous.

"[107] 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.

[113][114][115][116] 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'".

[52] 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.

"[125][126] 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.

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.

"[136] 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.

[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.

[148] 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.

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.