Duffy Breaks Silence: First Public Appearance in a Decade After Harrowing Abduction Story

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Content warning: This story discusses rape.

It’s no longer a distant dream to see Duffy.

On March 25, the Grammy-winning artist stepped into the limelight after a decade, using TikTok as her platform, to unveil a fresh remix of her popular tune “Mercy.” Now aged 40, she playfully mimicked the song’s lyrics, “You got me begging you for mercy,” and flirtatiously winked at the camera.

E.motion posted in the caption, “A few of you wondered if Duffy is indeed working on a UK Garage remix with us…

Five years later, she re-emerged into public view following a period of hiding, which was triggered by a terrifying episode from her past that she had initially disclosed.

In February 2020, Aimée Anne Duffy (known as Duffy) shared a traumatic experience in two posts – one on Instagram that’s no longer available and another written essay. In these posts, she recounted being drugged, raped, and held captive in a foreign land for several days. She has never disclosed the identity of her attacker.

10 years ago, a difficult event led her to retreat from the public eye. She later disclosed this experience in writing, saying “There have been questions about my whereabouts and what happened to me. Honestly, I was raped, drugged, and kept against my will for several days. But I’m safe now.

The “Rockferry” artist also further explained why she’d pressed pause on releasing music.

Duffy explained, “Perhaps you’re curious as to why I didn’t speak aloud about my suffering?” She replied, “I preferred to conceal the sadness in my gaze. I pondered, ‘Can I sing sincerely if my heart is shattered?’ And eventually, it mended.

In her essay, as reported by People, she expressed that rape took away my freedom from fear and human dignity. It has already claimed a third of my life. Beneath the surface, I understand it would be tragic and unjust to my life’s purpose to erase myself after what I endured in the music industry.

Since that time, she seldom posted updates about her life; nevertheless, last year, the singer reappeared on social media to publish her initial post in over three years, which included a motivational video detailing the source of happiness.

 

In this video, a voiceover shares: “One day you’ll realize that true happiness lies in the journey of discovery.” It continues, “This understanding comes from trusting your intuition and venturing where it leads you. True happiness is found by treating yourself with compassion.

The video continued, “Eventually, you’ll grasp that contentment has been about mastering self-acceptance all along, that your joy wasn’t contingent on others. Eventually, you’ll discern that genuine happiness stems from within and is not dictated by external circumstances. It was always a journey of self-discovery.

In the video, a voiceover shared, “Someday you’ll realize that true happiness lies in exploration. It’s about nurturing hope, listening to your inner self, and venturing wherever it leads you. True happiness is finding compassion for yourself.

As the video continued, it conveyed, “Eventually, you’ll grasp the notion that joy has always been connected to mastering the art of living with yourself. You’ll come to see that your happiness wasn’t something others controlled. Instead, true joy originates from within, and no external circumstances can dictate or limit it. It’s a journey about self-discovery.

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2025-03-28 03:48