Durek Verrett, aka Shaman Durek, is a Los Angeles-based celebrity shaman who’s been making waves recently with his atypical, celebrity-filled spirituality. He garners interest via his marriage to a member of Norway’s royalty, Princess Märtha Louise. Verrett fully embodies his identity as a “soul-sexual” healer. His story connects the worlds of celebrity culture, alternative medicine, and royal intrigue.
Born a Black American man, Verrett first rose to fame when he opened his own studio in Paris, attracting elite clients such as actress Gwyneth Paltrow. He tells us about his unique approach to healing, a holistic experience that holds the philosophy that some diseases can only be cured by a shaman. In 2019, he released a book called Spirit Hacking that raised a lot of eyebrows. In it, he proposed that the hospitalized patient think about how they “desired” their cancer, in an effort to reposition their minds to treat them.
It’s his marriage to Norwegian royalty Princess Märtha Louise that’s added the most interesting chapter to Verrett’s story. Whatever the topic, the couple always seems to be in the headlines. Along the way, they navigate the challenges, responsibilities and benefits of a relationship that mixes royalty with New Age spiritualism. Controversy has dogged Verrett’s career, despite their love story.
After the pandemic hit, in 2020, he recorded a vocal message to a friend. In this note, he acknowledged “crossing a line” in dominating a healing treatment and performing a sexual act. This surprising disclosure opened up a discussion around the limits of his practice and many began to speculate about his professional ethics. To add fuel to the fire, he’s been accused of sexual misconduct by a former client, which he has vigorously denied.
During the Covid pandemic, Verrett came under fire for hawking healing medallions. In 2019, a New York Times headline decried this practice as “immoral.” More importantly, it ignited huge discussions around the ethics of capitalizing on spiritual healing amidst a global pandemic. He defended himself against these accusations, stating,
“When you have a press that wants to prove to the world that I’m a charlatan, I’m a fake, I’m a conspiracy theorist, I’m evil, I’m dark – you have a very difficult situation.” – Shaman Durek Verrett
Beyond these controversies, Verrett now finds himself confronting health problems of his own. He’s on aggressive, multiple-a-week dialysis and waiting for a second kidney transplant. Yet his health struggles have inserted a compelling counterpoint to his story, as he has sought to overcome both the unforgiving public eye and personal affliction.
Verrett’s fashion choices reflect his bold personality. He often wears jackets emblazoned with statements like “spiritual hustler I really don’t care, do you?” This flair for self-expression, I find, kindles with his notion that spirituality can be political, personal and performative.
Throughout his life, Verrett has insisted that the medicine of his spirit work is capable of deep and radical healing. The intersection of his celebrity status and unconventional methods remains a lightning rod for controversy. Critics say that his methods are not founded on scientific principles, and followers call him a trailblazer in the field of holistic healing.
Looking back on his path to the national personas Verrett has become, he’s lucid about the burden that comes with his high-profile status in the transcendent community. He remains committed to his path, despite the controversies and criticisms. His special blend of celebrity shamanism and royal ties—and, okay, maybe just his general weirdness—make Durek Verrett one of the most fascinating people in modern culture today.