Breaking the silence – supported by the princess

 

Princess Märtha Louise
The princess and the shaman on the abuse allegations: “It hurts”

Alex Rodriguez

Published 11.53

Princess Märtha Louise and Durek Verrett break the silence on the alleged abuse. Photo: Javad Parsa/NTB

Shaman Durek Verrett is being hounded by accusations of sexual abuse of clients.

Now he and the princess's wife Märtha Louise are breaking the silence in an interview with VG.

– If Durek was a sexual offender, I would never have been with him, says Princess Märtha Louise.

Durek Verrett firmly rejects all allegations of sexual abuse. But the princess couple have consistently refused to participate in interviews with the press to address the allegations.

Now, however, they have had enough, and choose to tell the truth themselves in an interview withVG.

The Shaman: They want the princess to leave me

- This is a big smear campaign to make me seem like the most horrible person. To stress us, to stress the children – and to stress Märtha's family. So much so that she will eventually leave me, or that her family will turn their backs on me, Durek Verrett tells the newspaper.

Princess Märtha Louise expresses strong frustration over the media's coverage of the shaman and their relationship. They believe that the media "write anything as long as it is negative" and that it "hurts" the entire family.
Allegedly touched the agent's penis – without consent

What they call a smear campaign was based on statements from the shaman's former agent and Swedish manager, Joakim Boström.

According to Boström, the shaman is said to have sexually assaulted him during treatment in Sweden. Boström claims that the shaman repeatedly touched his penis, despite asking him to stop.

In the interview, Durek Verrett calls the accusations false and that it is something he does not accept.

The shaman: Treated him in the groin

He confirms that he gave Boström a treatment in the groin, but denies that he touched him in an inappropriate way.

In the interview with VG, Durek Verrett says that during his early years as a shaman, he had somewhat flexible boundaries in his relationships with his clients.

It happened that he could see people as both clients and friends, and at the same time "be intimate" with them. Something that he later reflected on was problematic.

- For example, I should have said no when a client came to my house and said that he was attracted to me and wanted to go on a date after the treatment, says Durek Verrett.

Regrets that he crossed boundaries

They went on a date, which the shaman now regrets. He describes that he crossed a line he shouldn't have crossed.

Durek Verrett also admits that he dated clients several times in his "younger days".

Supposedly gave oral sex to an alleged client: "We healed each other" 

Verrett also comments on a client's testimony in  Se og Hør, that he allegedly received oral sex from the shaman.

- It wasn't a client. We "healed" each other back and forth, he says.

Princess Märtha Louise stands by her husband, and sees no reason to believe the claims about him.

- If Durek was a sexual offender, I would never have been with him, says Märta Louise.