Singer Duffy to share story of her horrific kidnap and assault in new Disney+ documentary
It will be the first time the Welsh singer has given a full account of what happenedDuffy is set to open up about the horrific kidnap and sexual assault that forced her out of the public eye in a new Disney+ documentary.
The award-winning singer dominated the charts in the late noughties with hits including Mercy and Warwick Avenue.
But suddenly, Duffy disappeared from the showbiz world overnight.
The Welsh singer finally emerged an entire decade later and shocked the nation by revealing why she had been silent for so long.
Writing on Instagram, Duffy said she had been recovering from being “raped, drugged and held captive over some days” in a foreign county 10 years previously.
The brave star is now set to share the remarkable story about her harrowing ordeal in a feature-length Disney+ documentary.
Here’s what we know.
Duffy’s new Disney+ documentary
Disney+ announced today that Duffy will be recording her factual one-off for the streaming giant.
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Now aged 41, the singer will front the documentary. It will also feature interviews with her family, friends and close music industry peers.
Duffy will begin by speaking about her life growing up in Wales and her rise to fame. At the height of her success, the star scooped a Grammy Award, multiple Brit Awards and an Ivor Novello Award.
The subject will then turn to that terrible event that marred her life.
A synopsis for Duffy’s new Disney+ documentary reads: “In the late 2000s, Duffy was one of the biggest names in music, with her multi-platinum album Rockferry and its lead single Mercy hitting the top of the charts across the globe.
“Everything was looking up. And then she disappeared. For 10 years, Duffy vanished from the music scene, from social media, from the public eye, without a word.
“Then in 2020, Duffy published a harrowing post on her social media. She revealed that a decade earlier, she had been drugged, before being kidnapped and taken to another country, where she was violently and sexually abused.
“It had a devastating ripple effect across her entire life, cutting her off from the world. She’s barely been seen or heard from since – until now.”
What did Duffy’s 2020 Instagram post say?
Duffy shocked the nation in February 2020 with her account of where she had been.
She assured fans she was safe, but explained how she had been recovering from a dreadful ordeal that had taken place a decade earlier.
Duffy began: “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.”
Duffy continued: “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.”
When will Duffy’s documentary land on Disney+?
Disney+ is yet to confirm when Duffy’s documentary will be available to watch. The title is also yet to be announced.
It is very much a work in progress, so expect it on screens later this year at the earliest.
Sean Doyle, Vice President, Unscripted at Disney+ has commended Duffy on her bravery to speak out.
He says: “This film will give Duffy the chance to tell her story in her own words. I am grateful to our collaborators at Rare TV for this unprecedented access, along with Stellify Media for handling this project with sensitivity and care.
“We set out in a search for impactful, female-led stories in collaboration with Northern Ireland Screen, and it’s a privilege that Duffy’s is the first we’re able to help tell. But above all, I’m especially in awe of Duffy – for her honesty and courage to share her story.”
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