Princess Märtha Louise of Norway and her American husband, Durek Verrett, have filed an $80 million lawsuit in Los Angeles County Superior Court against four former members of their inner circle and ten unidentified parties, alleging a calculated betrayal of trust, defamation, and the weaponization of private access.
The Bottom Line
- The Legal Action: Filed on September 14 in Los Angeles, the lawsuit claims damages exceeding $80 million over alleged public attacks, confidentiality breaches, and reputation harm.
- The Named Defendants: The court documents name four individuals, including Verrett’s half-sister Demetria de La Nuit, a former partner, a former manager, and a former friend, alongside ten unnamed parties.
- The Personal Context: The filing arrives during a turbulent period for the couple, marked by Verrett’s recent kidney transplant and Princess Märtha Louise’s grief following the August death of her father, King Harald.
California Court Filings Detail Eighty Million Dollar Claims
The legal dispute centers on allegations that individuals once welcomed into the private lives and business operations of Princess Märtha Louise and Durek Verrett turned confidential communications and insider knowledge into a coordinated series of public attacks. According to details reviewed by the Norwegian newspaper VG and reported by The Guardian, the compensation claims total in excess of $80m, with specific breakdowns reported by Dagbladet indicating that Verrett seeks more than $30 million, Märtha Louise more than $20 million, and Verrett’s American company, Ohana, more than $30 million across several overlapping claims.
The lawsuit, lodged in Los Angeles County Superior Court, names four specific individuals: a former romantic partner, a former manager and associate, a former friend and associate, and Verrett’s half-sister, Demetria de La Nuit, who is identified in legal papers by her former name, Demetria Farmer Oster. Ten additional, unidentified parties are also included in the action. According to VG, two of the defendants are specifically accused of breaching confidentiality agreements.
Family Friction and Shifting Loyalties
The inclusion of Demetria de La Nuit brings a sharp family dimension to the courtroom battle. Known online as Demi de La Nuit, she previously shared a close bond with both Verrett and Princess Märtha Louise before that relationship deteriorated after she publicly criticized the couple and the Norwegian royal family. Legal representatives for the couple reportedly issued cease-and-desist letters to her shortly before the royal wedding in August 2024. When contacted regarding the lawsuit, Demetria declined to comment to VG.
The lawsuit details how the accused defendants were intimately familiar with Verrett’s personal life, family relationships, client-related affairs, and business operations through relationships of trust and professional responsibility. Rather than acting as distant critics, the court papers state that these individuals took private access once afforded to them and weaponized it against the plaintiffs.
Commercial Fallout Amid Royal and Personal Turmoil
The legal documents assert that the alleged misconduct caused severe damage to Märtha Louise and Verrett’s professional opportunities, commercial prospects, and income streams. Dagbladet reported that Verrett claims business revenue fell by as much as 96 percent in certain parts of his business as a result of the disputed statements.
This litigation coincides with a deeply challenging period for the Norwegian royal family. King Harald died in August at the age of 89, succeeded by his son, Haakon. Just two days after attending Harald’s funeral in September, King Harald’s sister, Princess Astrid, passed away at 94. Compounding the royal household’s public relations challenges, Queen Mette-Marit underwent a lung transplant in June amid pulmonary fibrosis, while her son, Marius Borg Høiby, was found guilty of two counts of rape in June, alongside ongoing scrutiny regarding the queen’s friendship with Jeffrey Epstein.
Legal Deadlines Dictate Timing of the Los Angeles Suit
Märtha Louise and Verrett formally stepped back from official royal duties in 2023 to concentrate on their alternative medicine business, which included a Netflix documentary titled Rebel Royals: An Unlikely Love Story. The timing of the Los Angeles court filing was dictated by strict legal deadlines rather than personal preference, according to the legal papers.
The couple noted that the lawsuit had to be initiated despite significant personal and medical hardships, including Verrett’s serious kidney failure, dialysis treatment, and subsequent kidney transplant, alongside Princess Märtha Louise’s mourning following her father’s death. Richard Roth, the American attorney representing the couple, stated to VG: “Our clients’ reputations have been judged by the public for years. Now the facts will be tested in a court of law.”
| Plaintiff / Entity | Claim Amount | Primary Alleged Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Durek Verrett | In excess of $30 million | 96% revenue drop in specific business sectors; reputation damage |
| Princess Märtha Louise | In excess of $20 million | Commercial prospects and reputation impairment |
| Ohana | In excess of $30 million | Business disruption and breach of confidentiality |
Court documents list two future hearings for the case in December.
