WARNING: This article contains sexual and explicit language and may be triggering for some readers. Please read at your own discretion.
It’s been nearly a decade since Duffy, the Welsh pop icon, released her last album, Endlessly, and for the majority of the 2010s — after years of success in the late 2000s — fans across the U.K. and the entire world have been wondering where, exactly, the Mercy singer “disappeared off to.”
On Tuesday, the 35-year-old answered that question by revealing she had been taking time to recover from being “raped and drugged and held captive over some days,” in a lengthy and emotional Instagram post.
Though she did not disclose who her attacker was, or when and where the events happened, Duffy said she was inspired to share her story after a journalist had “found a way to reach” her, adding that a “spoken interview” would be shared in the next few weeks.
“I asked myself, ‘How can I sing from the heart if it is broken?’ And slowly it unbroke,” she added.
Duffy asked her followers for support in making her decision to share her story a positive experience.
“Please respect this is a gentle move for me to make,” she wrote.
The musician, born Aimee Duffy, said it felt “exciting and liberating” for her to finally open up about her experience.
Duffy proceeded to assure fans that she is “OK and safe” now.
“Please trust me… the sun does now shine,” she wrote.
In 2009, Duffy was nominated for three Grammy Awards. She won her first and only golden gramophone statue thanks to her debut album, Rockferry (2008), which was named Best Pop Vocal Album over the likes of Sheryl Crow’s Detours and The Eagles’ Long Road Out of Eden.
Though she had planned to take only a two-year hiatus after releasing her sophomore record, by 2012, Duffy had fallen silent and cancelled, or simply not attended, almost all of her scheduled performances.
While she did not release any major singles or return to the studio to record a followup album, Duffy worked on select projects in her time out of the spotlight, including songs on the soundtrack for the 2015 crime thriller, Legend. Some of her other works never even saw the light of day.
Duffy said she’d like to answer any questions her fans have for her in the upcoming spoken interview. She emphasized that she would try to do so as long as the questions are appropriate and she feels comfortable answering them.
“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 wrote.
It’s unclear when Duffy’s “spoken interview” will be shared to the public.
If you or someone you know is experiencing abuse or is involved in an abusive situation, please visit the Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime for help. You can also reach the centre toll-free at 1-877-232-2610.
— With files from the Associated Press