Welsh pop performer Duffy has posted a personal note on Instagram detailing why she has been on an extended hiatus from the music industry since 2011. During the note the performer states that she “was raped and drugged and held captive over some days,” and that she needed to take time to recover from the trauma.
Duffy first achieved fame back in 2008 with the release of her debut album Rockferry, which was supproted by singles such as its title track and “Mercy” which charted world wide. The album received critical acclaim and commercial success, as it topped the UK Charts that year, and went on to become the best-selling record in the country.
Her sophomore and final album before the hiatus Endlessly, was released in 2010, but did not fare as well commercially or critically. Despite her hiatus she did release a cover of Make the World Go Away back in 2015 for the film Legend, where Duffy is shown performing the track inside a nightclub.
The performer explained that she had tried to discuss what had happened numerous times before, but that it was difficult for her to properly express it herself. She explained that she had discussed what had happened with a journalist, and that this allowed her to open up about this trauma.
“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,” she explained. “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.”
She has also stated that she will be hosting a spoken interview during the coming weeks, and that her fans will be welcome to ask questions during the interview. However, she also urged her audience to “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.”
Read her full statement below:
You can only imagine the amount of times I thought about writing this. 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. 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. 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 x
Duffy
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.
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