Welsh singer Duffy said she was drugged, held captive and raped by an unidentified person, a traumatic experience behind why she retreated from public life.
In an emotional post on Instagram, the “Mercy” singer opened up for the first time and deleted all her previous posts, including a post from yesterday commending the “heroines” who accused disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein of rape in court.
“Well, not entirely sure why now is the right time, and what it is that feels exciting and liberating for me to talk,” she wrote.
“Many of you wonder what happened to me, where did I disappear to and why.
“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.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B8_95uYhFMQ/
“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.”
Duffy did not make clear any other details of the incident, but said she will answer any questions in a forthcoming spoken interview.
The singer hasn’t released new material since her 2010 album Endlessly. While rumors have persisted that she had been working on new music over the past decade, her most recent project was acting in the 2015 film Legend.
“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,” she wrote.
“You have been friends. I want to thank you for that.”
Help is available.
If you require immediate assistance, please call 000.
If you’d like to speak to someone about sexual violence, please call the 1800
Respect hotline on 1800 737 732 or chat online.
Under 25? You can reach Kids Helpline at 1800 55 1800 or chat online.
