Welsh singer Duffy, best known for her 2008 smash-hit “Mercy” has revealed in a new Instagram post that she was “raped and drugged and held captive over some days.”
TW: this article contains depictions or discussions of sexual assault and may be triggering to some readers.
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Duffy has been on a musical hiatus since 2011 and on a Facebook hiatus since 2017.
She has kept an incredibly low profile for the past few years and has now taken to Instagram to explain.
“You can only imagine the amount of times I thought about writing this,” she began.
“The way I would write it, how I would feel thereafter. Well, not entirely sure why now is the right time, and what it is that feels exciting and liberating for me to talk. I cannot explain it. Many of you wonder what happened to me, where did I disappear to and why. A journalist contacted me, he found a way to reach me and I told him everything this past summer.”
“He was kind and it felt so amazing to finally speak,” she continued.
“The truth is, and please trust me I am ok and safe now, I was raped and drugged and held captive over some days.”
“Of course I survived. The recovery took time. There’s no light way to say it.”
“But I can tell you in the last decade, the thousands and thousands of days I committed to wanting to feel the sunshine in my heart again, the sun does now shine.”
“You wonder why I did not choose to use my voice to express my pain? I did not want to show the world the sadness in my eyes. I asked myself, how can I sing from the heart if it is broken? And slowly it unbroke.”
The 35-year-old singer then revealed she will be doing an interview explaining her traumatic ordeal.
“In the following weeks I will be posting a spoken interview.”
“If you have any questions I would like to answer them, in the spoken interview, if I can. I have a sacred love and sincere appreciation for your kindness over the years.”
“You have been friends. I want to thank you for that.”
She concluded: “Please respect this is a gentle move for me to make, for myself, and I do not want any intrusion to my family. Please support me to make this a positive experience.”
Social media has been filled with support for Duffy coming forward with her brave story.
The Women’s Organisation tweeted: “If the events of this week have taught us anything it’s that women speaking out against those who seek to use their power to hurt us is a powerful thing. We were so saddened to see this news from the incredible artist #Duffy, but massively commend her on her bravery.”
Many fans had been wondering about the singer’s whereabouts for several years now.
We’re so proud of Duffy for being so brave.
