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Lifestyle & Human Interest

Singer Duffy Breaks Silence, Says She Was 'Drugged, Raped, and Held Captive' Against Her Will

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Aimee Anne Duffy, a Welsh singer known simply as Duffy, has released a statement explaining why she’s been absent from the public eye for nearly a decade.

Duffy, 35, rose to prominence in 2008 after releasing the song “Mercy,” which was featured on the wildly popular “Grey’s Anatomy” television series as well as the “Sex and the City” movie.

Her debut album “Rockferry” went platinum in 2008 and the artist rose to international fame, picking up three Brit Awards and becoming the first Welsh female singer to have a number one hit in 25 years, Wales Online reported in 2011.

In 2009, Duffy won a Grammy Award for “Best Pop Vocal Album” and followed up with her second album, “Endlessly,” in 2010.



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But in February 2011, the singer abruptly announced she would be taking a break from music, Wales Online reported, with speculation that Duffy was upset that her sophomore album was not as successful as her first.

But Duffy had a much darker, more painful reason for disappearing from the public eye, a story she finally shared Tuesday on Instagram.

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The singer said that while she had thought long and hard about when she could share her story, she said that now is the time and that it “feels exciting and liberating for me to talk.”

“Many of you wonder what happened to me, where did I disappear to and why,” Duffy began.

“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.”

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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.

A post shared by @ duffy on

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The singer went on to speak of her long, painful recovery that has kept her off the stage.

“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.”

Duffy went on to answer some questions she believed her fans would ask:

“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 that in the coming weeks she will be releasing a “spoken interview” about her ordeal and thanked her fans for their ongoing support.

“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 said.

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A graduate of Grand Canyon University, Kim Davis has been writing for The Western Journal since 2015, focusing on lifestyle stories.
Kim Davis began writing for The Western Journal in 2015. Her primary topics cover family, faith, and women. She has experience as a copy editor for the online publication Thoughtful Women. Kim worked as an arts administrator for The Phoenix Symphony, writing music education curriculum and leading community engagement programs throughout the region. She holds a degree in music education from Grand Canyon University with a minor in eating tacos.
Birthplace
Page, Arizona
Education
Bachelor of Science in Music Education
Location
Phoenix, Arizona
Languages Spoken
English
Topics of Expertise
Lifestyle & Human Interest




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