This article is a translation of an article originally published in Norwegian.
– They exploit vulnerable people, offering them money to get what they want. They show no concern for the disintegration of families, only the story, which is unethical and quite shocking.
This is what Princess Märtha Louise told VG after the story of Se og Hør's coverage of Durek Verrett. She accuses Se og Hør of having an agenda against her fiancé.
– There's a kind of vendetta against Durek that's been going on for quite some time.
The editor-in-chief of Se og Hør, Ulf “Uffe” André Andersen, says that her claims of vendetta and ethics violations, are not true.
– The princess's claims are not correct. Our news journalism is aimed at the royal house and the royal family and is based on ordinary journalistic principles, he writes in an email.
– Our agenda is solely to bring the best news about the royals and their families to our readers.
I was disgusted
Over the past year, Se og Hør has published several interviews with Verrett's mother.
'Durek's Unknown Mom Lives Lonely and Abandoned' and 'Betrayed by Durek', among other things, appear on the first cover where she decorated the weekly magazine.
– When I saw the article... I felt disgusted, says Durek Verrett to VG.
– Märtha had to hold on to me. I just cried and cried.
Verrett says he thought «they have to pay her a lot of money to make her do this».
VG's story reveals that Verrett's mother, Veruscha Urquhart, is under contract with Se og Hør.
Se og Hør's editor-in-chief has not wanted to comment on the information, saying the weekly magazine never comments on individual cases. On a general basis, he replies that money is always a topic when Se og Hør enter into contracts, but that the magazine only buys pictures and not interviews.
Durek Verrett reacts strongly to the information that his mother is under contract.
– In situations where money is involved, individuals can be influenced to say what the press wants to hear, further complicating the truth, Verrett says.
– Is this legal? And is this seen as within good press etiquette or press etiquette at all, asks Princess Märtha.
– It's hard to love me
Princess Märtha Louise's relationship with Durek Verrett became known in 2019.
Märtha Louise says she tried to warn her fiancé of what he had in store when they got together.
– But it's not possible to do that. You can't understand it until you're in it.
She draws a parallel between what she is experiencing now and what she experienced when she got involved with Ari Behn 23 years ago. At the beginning of the relationship, Behn's past was all over the news — and people around him sold information and pictures to Se og Hør
– What has struck me the most is how stressful it is for the people who love me. I mean...
Märtha takes a little pause, then starts talking about how almost any person who connects with her has to count on being watched.
– And I think that's almost the worst. That it is so stressful to be friends with me or to love me.
Se og Hør: – Public interest
Editor-in-Chief Ulf André Andersen first worked in Dagbladet, and then started working in Se og Hør in 2008. He even helped expose the relationship between Princess Märtha and Ari Behn, he says.
– I've been following the princess all these years. With my hand on my heart, I can probably say that coverage of the royal family was even more ongoing in the old days than it is today.
Andersen says he understands that being in the media spotlight over time can be a strain.
– But both the princess and her fiancé have to deal with the fact that both their wedding, their business and the sensational role of Shaman Durek have strong public interest.
To Verrett's criticism, the editor-in-chief replies that he believes Verrett must «understand and accept that family relationships are put under the magnifying glass.»
– Through the interview with Durek's mother, Se og Hør has revealed that much of what he says is not true. For example, that he has grown up in wealth and that he is a shaman of the sixth generation. He himself has retracted the family ties, and then it is our journalistic duty to revisit them.
Disputed shaman
Since his relationship with the princess became known, Verrett - and his business activities - have repeatedly been in the Norwegian media spotlight following a series of controversial statements, which run counter to established science and professional recommendations.
Both Durek Verrett and Märtha Louise have previously responded by criticising the press's coverage of them. They still stand by the criticism, but say one must distinguish between that discussion and the criticism they are now directing at Se og Hør.
– Do you think it’s legitimate to investigate, question, and critique aspects related to you?
– Of course. You can't come to a new country and marry their princess - while having a completely different way of seeing the world, and expressing yourself - without getting some kind of criticism or some kind of inspection, Verrett says.
— A smear campaign
Also, Märtha Louise's combination of spirituality, commercial enterprise and a princess title has been criticized in several installments.
– VG has written critical articles that put a critical spotlight on Durek Verrett. Do you consider any of the journalism done on him to be legitimate?
– I understand very well that what is said sometimes is incomprehensible to Norwegians in general. He is a shaman and works from a different view of the world than what we are used to. The press has a habit of taking out parts or one sentence, blowing it up, and asking two or three professors or doctors questions, all of which are negative. Instead of thinking there are other ways to look at it, she says.
– Do I understand correctly that you think there are things that may be legitimate to do, but that we may be doing it in the wrong way?
– Yes, absolutely. It's very nice to question things, but with an open question mark, and not a judgmental question mark.
– You draw a clear distinction between that press discussion about whether it's done in the best possible way and what we're talking about here?
– Yes, they are two completely different things, says Märtha Louise.
– Se og Hør is a completely different thing. 'It's like a smear campaign, 'Verrett answers the same question.
Unsafe childhood
Se og Hør has been part of the Princess's life from the first issue in 1978. She was seven years old when she fronted the very first cover of the weekly magazine.
– Ever since we were little teenagers, we've known that they've paid people to talk negatively about us. That goes for both the Crown Prince and me.
She continues:
– We could never be safe, we could never talk to people properly. Because we didn’t know who we could trust. It was a huge insecurity.
The princess knows several people who have a good relationship with Se og Hør. She says it stands in stark contrast to her own experiences.
– I think it's sad that it's like that. I know this has happened before, with the father of Crown Princess Mette-Marit.
– Somewhat disturbing
Crown Princess Mette-Marit's father, Sven O. Høiby (1936-2007), received money from Se og Hør for several years. In return, Se og Hørr received pictures, information about the royal family and exclusive stories with Høiby.
In 2007, the details of the collaboration became known, because ex-Se og Hør reporter Håvard Melnæs published the book «An ordinary day at work». The book made shockwaves in the Norwegian press community.
– It happens in other countries as well, says Märtha.
Duchess Meghan, who is married to Britain's Prince Harry, experienced that her father went into partnership with British tabloids. Just days before the wedding in 2018, it became known that the father was still not going to the wedding.
The reason was, according to TMZ, that the father had planned the photo shoot with an image agency, and had been paid for it.
In a major Netflix documentary from 2022, Meghan recounted that her relationship with her father went from being close, to non-existent.
Princess Märtha Louise believes much of the same is now happening to her fiancé and her family.
– They have ruined the relationship between Durek and his mother.
Editor-in-Chief Andersen writes in an email that he doesn't understand the reference to Meghan and Harry.
– A little disturbing
In VG's story, it emerged that Lars Gautneb, the Se og Hør reporter who is the author of several articles about Verrett's mother, was a close friend of Märtha Louise's ex-husband, the writer and painter Ari Behn (1972-2019).
The two met in the early 2000s and had a «close and good» friendship, according to a text the journalist later wrote.
Märtha Louise says she was unaware of how early the friendship between the reporter and Behn started.
– It seems a bit disturbing, she says.
– Why is he even interviewing my mother when he and Ari were so close? asks Verrett.
To VG, editor-in-chief Andersen has stated that Gautneb's friendship with Behn was publicly known.
– It is entirely sought to put our reporter's relationship with Ari Behn in the context of the coverage of Durek.
The Princess's manager, Carina Scheele Carlsen, and Durek Verrett's former manager, Simon Valvik, were present during the interview.
Les også: Dureks mor på kontrakt med Se og Hør