Princess Märtha Louise’s husband alleges racism by Norwegian royal family in Netflix documentary

Durek Verrett, the American spiritual healer who married Norway’s Princess Märtha Louise last year, says he experienced racism from members of the Norwegian royal family and felt abandoned by them after his engagement, according to a new Netflix documentary released this week.

In Rebel Royals: An Unlikely Love Story, Verrett, 51, recounts being criticized for his appearance and beliefs, says he received racist messages on social media following the engagement announcement in June 2022, and describes feeling ignored when he raised those concerns with royal relatives. "I mean, pretty much everything I did was wrong," he tells the series, saying members of the family would "always let Märtha know that I was wrong." He also said he received a message from King Harald V only after the public furor around Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021, suggesting the monarch reached out in part from concern about further international scrutiny.

Verrett, who describes himself in promotional material for his work as a spiritual guide, said in the documentary that he was "bombarded" with hateful messages about his race and that the hostile reaction contributed to periods of deep depression. He recounted an incident at a royal dinner in Denmark in which a guest questioned his African heritage while pointing to portraits on the wall, saying those portrayed had "enslaved your people," a remark Verrett said went unchallenged by others at the table.

The documentary follows the couple — who were introduced by friends in 2019, have said they believe they knew each other in a past life, and married in Geiranger last August — as they navigate scrutiny in Norway and internationally. It includes scenes of Verrett clashing with royal protocol, saying he found conversation at some royal events "flat" and admitting he was often unsure of how to address members of other monarchies.

Märtha Louise, 53, relinquished her role as a working royal in 2019 and began pursuing private ventures. After her engagement to Verrett was announced, Norway’s king said she would not represent the royal household in any official capacity, and that her use of royal status in commercial partnerships would be restricted. The couple married in a private ceremony in 2024 in the village of Geiranger.

The relationship has generated debate in Norway partly because of Verrett’s past statements and practices. He has promoted wellness products and treatments that critics have described as unfounded, including a medallion he said helped him recover from COVID-19. Verrett has also been accused of inappropriate conduct related to his spiritual sessions; he has denied assault allegations and said some claims were later dropped. Audio recordings published by a Norwegian newspaper previously captured him admitting to having "crossed the line" in certain sessions, remarks that he characterized as mistakes.

The documentary draws frequent comparisons to the public controversies surrounding Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, whose 2021 interview with Oprah sparked a global conversation about race and the British royal family. Verrett suggests in the series that the international attention on Harry and Meghan may have prompted greater internal discussion in the Norwegian household about how his treatment had been received publicly.

Royal commentators and elected officials in Norway have in recent years debated the appropriate role of members of the royal family in private and commercial activities. Public reaction to Märtha Louise’s partnership with Verrett included calls for her to renounce her title if she pursued business ventures tied to her status. The couple has said they intend to continue their joint work and public engagements despite criticism.

Netflix’s series includes interviews and footage intended to provide a personal view of the couple’s relationship and the controversies that have surrounded it. The Norwegian palace has previously issued statements clarifying Princess Märtha Louise’s official status and noting that while she retains her title, she does not perform representative duties for the royal household. The palace did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the documentary’s claims.

The documentary’s release comes amid renewed public discussion in several countries about how royal institutions handle allegations of racism and how they support relatives who are subject to public attacks. Verrett’s account is the latest in a string of high-profile testimonies that have put royal families under international scrutiny over race, representation and the boundaries between private life and public duty.