Controversial Norweigan royal Shaman Durek, 50, sparks major health fears he reveals said he needs major procedure three times a week ‘just to stay alive’

Shaman Durek Verrett, the husband of Princes Martha Louise of Norway, has claimed he now has to undergo kidney dialysis three times a week ‘just to stay alive’.

The American spiritualist, 50, who married into the Norweigan royal family in August, has courted controversy for his beliefs including ‘children get cancer because they’re unhappy’.

The Shaman, who has previously had a kidney transplant, also slammed the Norweigan press and said ‘attacks’ against him – including an allegation of sexual assault from a male client –  had worsened his health.

In the statement posted to Instagram, he wrote: ‘I’ve been relentlessly targeted by Norwegian media, Se og Hør in particular, for the past six years. 

‘I’ve been portrayed in ways that have deeply harmed my health, my character, my reputation, my business, and the people I love, my family and friends.’

Durek had reportedly been suffering from a ‘severe kidney disease’ for almost three decades, with the spiritualist having previously claimed the condition once led him to go into cardiac arrest.

In 2023, it was reported that the shaman – whose celebrity following includes Gwyneth Paltrow, Nina Dobrev and James Van Der Beek – was having to go into a US facility up to five times a week for dialysis. 

Last year, Verrett admitted he ‘made a mistake’ in sessions with five of his clients, in bombshell audio recordings obtained by Norwegian paper Se og Hor.

In the three voice messages, Verrett reveals he performed oral sex on one of his male clients after their session and helped a woman ‘clean’ her vagina after she had ‘violent’ sex with her partner.

The American spiritualist took to Instagram on Friday, claiming in a statement that his health had been ‘harmed’ due to being ‘relentlessly targeted’ by a Norwegian news outlet as part of a ‘takedown for profit’

The recordings were released after Swedish father-of-two Joakim Boström claimed  he was touched in an ‘inappropriate way’ by Verrett after attending a spiritual session with him, after he claimed he had a cyst in the area.

‘He started touching my penis. I reacted violently and shouted “what do you think is going to happen? You want me to get an erection?”. I told him to stop, but he wouldn’t budge. He seemed determined to persuade me to have sex,’ he told Seg oh hor.

In a later session, he said he was then sexually assaulted by the Shaman, who didn’t stop when he asked. 

Mr Boström didn’t report Durek’s behaviour at the time – something he now regrets. 

In a statement given to Se og Hør, Durek’s representative Jenni Weinman said Boström had been his Swedish agent before being fired for having an inappropriate relationship with a member of staff.

Durek has previously denied the allegations and claimed he has a ‘legal document’ in place to protect him. 

In the new statement made to Instagram, he said: ‘The accusation was false, malicious, and strategically timed to hurt me and those I love.’

Continuing the statement, Durek said ‘lies’ had been told and that the publication had ‘handed a megaphone’ to his critics. 

Durek and Princess Martha made headlines for their wedding in August (pictured) – partly due to Verrett’s controversial views

Princess Martha Louise of Norway and her US groom Shaman Durek delighted crowds lining the streets by sharing a kiss after their wedding

Those who he said included: ‘Disgraced family, ex-partners, former friends, and wellness guide turned media-hungry opportunist’ and ‘people with personal vendettas and something to gain.’ 

‘This isn’t journalism. This is a takedown for profit,’ he slammed.    

Continuing, he said: ‘I lost my kidney transplant several years ago. I now undergo dialysis three times a week just to stay alive. These attacks haven’t just hurt emotionally. They’ve made that fight harder.’

‘To real survivors of abuse, I see you. I stand with you. But what Se og Hør did wasn’t advocacy. It was profiting from your pain, and that is dangerous and disgraceful.

‘I believe in a free press, but I believe even more in truth, accountability, and ethics. Journalism should serve the public, not manipulate it.

‘This post is a public record. Every lie, every violation, every smear—documented. This is evidence.

To the PFU—thank you for doing what Se og Hør refused to do: uphold the true values of journalism, truth, fairness, integrity, and public trust.

To my lawyer, Geir Lippestad –thank you for honoring human rights and standing by my side through this.

To my TRIBE—thank you for your unconditional love, for me and this planet. I will continue to walk in truth, with love and purpose.’

In 2002, Durek – who has previously spoken about being HIV positive – sensationally claimed he died of renal failure and came back to life, cementing his path to being a shaman 

The American ‘spiritual healer’ sparked controversy for his wedding to the Danish royal after a number of media publications pointed to a colourful past shrouded in conflicting claims and outlandish statements.

In 2002, Durek – who has previously spoken about being HIV positive – sensationally claimed he died of renal failure and came back to life, cementing his path to being a shaman. 

A decade later later, the spiritual healer – who flits between describing himself as a ‘third and sixth generation shaman’ – raised more than $20,000 for kidney transplant surgery, with his sister as his donor.

The fundraiser was supported by his fiancé, masseur Hank Greenberg, who he was in a relationship with for eight years from 2007.

Things came to an end when Durek was arrested in 2015 for attacking him at their California home. Hank would later describe his former fiancé as ‘not a good man’.

The self-proclaimed spiritual leader has previously complained of a number of health battles, namely concerning his kidneys. 

Speaking to HELLO in August, he said: ‘I’ve had a lot of blood pressure issues and have been prone to infections since I was a kid. I lived in countries such as Israel during wars and suffered physical abuse as a child – a lot of these elements broke down my system.’

When he was 28-years-old, the Shaman suffered a renal failure that landed him in hospital and led him to suffer a ‘near-death experience’. 

He claimed he ‘flatlined’ seven times before being brought back to life on the eighth turn.

Durek said he has been ‘on dialysis’ for eight year following the incident and that he his sister, Angela had had to take care for him – even donating one of her kidneys to him in 2012.

Durek found himself in hot water in 2022 when claims from his book, Spirit Hacking, published in 2019, resurfaced when he and Martha Louise got engaged.

He claimed that children ‘can get cancer from being unhappy’ and was dropped by his publisher shortly after the couple announced their engagement in June 2022.

He previously told Se og Hør, that there is a ‘place and time for everything’.

Durek and Princess Martha, 53, gathered 300 guests, including many royals, at their wedding in August. 

Märtha, who describes herself as ‘spiritual’ and claims to be a clairvoyant, got into a relationship with Durek after overcoming the loss of her first husband, Ari Behn, who died by suicide in 2019.

But things have not been easy for Märtha, as she was forced to leave her role as a working member of the royal family because of her fiancé’s controversial views.