The shaman spares no expense in the new podcast. But the criticism is not aimed at the Norwegian royal family, the royal house or the princess personally, says Durek Verrett’s manager.
Durek Verrett and Märtha Louise at the opening of the autumn exhibition at the cultural center in Ås, where Maud Angelica Behn exhibited her paintings. Photo: Heiko Junge, NTB
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Published: 15.12.2023 20:01 | Updated: 15/12/2023 20:16
The short version
- Shaman Durek Verrett talks about the royal family and racism in a new podcast.
The summary is created with the help of artificial intelligence (AI) and quality assured by Aftenposten’s journalists.
Short version is for subscribers only
Almost five years have passed since Durek Verrett stepped into the Norwegian limelight as Princess Märtha Louise’s lover.
Since then, he has regularly made accusations against both the Norwegian population and the press. Among other things, that the criticism against him is due to racism.
– They live in a bubble
Now it’s the royal family that gets to go through. Verrett and the princess talk together in the podcast Quite Frankly with presenter Frank Elaridi. There he goes into, among other things, the meeting with the Norwegian royal family back in 2019.
– I actually did a trick on Märtha Louise to see if she had racism in her. Of course she had. She is part of the royal family. They are the biggest racists of them all, says Verrett.
The presenter follows up with a parallel to Meghan Markle and her confrontation with racism in the British royal house. He made a point that it should not be surprising as they are the original racists as colonialists.
– They are “the OGsthe OGsenglish slang for “the originals”, in Norwegian translated to “the originals”. They live in a bubble. They have no awareness of this understanding, replies Verrett.
The case was first discussed by See and listen.
Durek Verrett took part in the “family picture” of the royal guests and the immediate family in connection with the celebration of Princess Ingrid Alexandra when she turned 18 last year. Photo: Håkon Mosvold Larsen, NTB
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Would illuminate historical actions
Aftenposten has asked Verrett questions about the statement via his manager Simon Valvik.
– Durek tried here to highlight and illuminate how historical actions, where royal families invade countries and colonize them, today can be understood as symbols of a time when racist attitudes and practices were very widespread, Valvik replies.
– It was not meant as criticism of the Norwegian royal family, the royal house or the princess personally, he adds.
The Royal House does not wish to comment on the matter. This is what Guri Varpe, head of communications at the Palace, tells Aftenposten.
Neither does Princess Märtha Louise, says her manager Carina Scheele Carlsen.
Earlier this year, Verrett referred to King Harald in much warmer terms. In January he said the following VG in connection with British Prince Harry’s confrontation with racism:
– The world needs to know what a wonderful and forward-looking king Norway has who fights against racism and stands up for me. Now other royal families must also start talking about racism. It provides a great opportunity for change.
– Don’t want a black man in the royal family
Verrett has already received harsh criticism this week for statements he made on Instagram. There he claimed that beings could take place in children. “Shaman Durek reaches a new low,” wrote Aftenposten’s commentator Therese Sollien.
It caused great debate when Verrett made similar statements about racism in the summer of 2022. Then he spoke in a live broadcast on Instagram about why he gets so much hate.
– Firstly, they don’t want a black man in the royal family. There have never been any blacks in the history of the European royal families, so it is a very big deal, Durek Verrett said in the broadcast.
He also accused the doctor Wasim Zahid of racism in 2019 when Zahid criticized Verrett for the statements that “women get certain marks on the inside of the vagina if they have too many sex partners”.
2023-12-15 19:01:25
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