Singer Duffy Says She Was “Raped, Drugged, And Held Captive”
"Of course I survived. The recovery took time. There’s no light way to say it."
— Content Warning: This article discusses sexual assault. —
Welsh singer Duffy has said was drugged, raped, and held captive by an unnamed person a number of years ago.
The ‘Mercy’ singer opened up in an Instagram post earlier today, explaining that she was encouraged to tell her story after being approached by a journalist last year.
“You can only imagine the amount of times I thought about writing this,” Duffy — real name Aimee Maree Duffy — wrote on Instagram. “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. 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.”
The singer retreated from the public eye after releasing two highly successful albums, Rockferry in 2007 and Endlessly in 2010. Rockferry, buoyed by the ubiquitous singles ‘Mercy’ and the title track, was particularly acclaimed — and reached #1 on the UK charts and in numerous other countries. She has released only one song since then, ‘Whole Lot Of Love’, which featured in the film Legend.
“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,” Duffy wrote today. “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.”
Duffy said she will be posting an interview about the incident in the coming weeks, and encouraged her fans to her any questions about what happened.
“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 finished. “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.
If you or someone you know is impacted by sexual assault, domestic or family violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit www.1800RESPECT.org.au.
Photo Credit: Grammys.com