Welsh singer Duffy has been pictured in public for the first time in 16 years, having stepped away from the spotlight after a traumatic rape and kidnap ordeal.
The 41-year-old, known for hits including “Mercy” and “Warwick Avenue”, found fame with the release of her debut single “Rockferry” in 2007 and topped the UK charts with her album of the same name a year later.
But in 2010, after the release of her second record, the singer – whose full name is Aimée Anne Duffy – largely disappeared from the public eye.
She later revealed she retreated from the spotlight after being drugged and taken abroad for four weeks, where she was raped by her attacker.
Duffy has now been pictured for the first time in 16 years. Caffi Largo in Pwllheli, Wales shared a photograph of the singer posing with a staff member on social media.
The caption reads: “Celebrity singer from Nefyn, Amy Duffy, popped into the Caffi this morning. Always lovely to see local talent supporting local spots.”
Recalling her kidnap ordeal in 2020, Duffy wrote in an essay on her website: “It was my birthday, I was drugged at a restaurant, I was drugged then for four weeks and travelled to a foreign country. I can’t remember getting on the plane and came round in the back of a travelling vehicle.”
The singer added that she “was put into a hotel room and the perpetrator returned and raped me”.
“I knew my life was in immediate danger, he made veiled confessions of wanting to kill me,” she continued. “With what little strength I had, my instinct was to then run, to run and find somewhere to live that he could not find.
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“After it happened, someone I knew came to my house and saw me on my balcony staring into space, wrapped in a blanket. I cannot remember getting home.
“The person said I was yellow in colour and I was like a dead person.“
Duffy will recount the traumatic period in her life in a Disney+ documentary set to air later this year and will make her onstage comeback in July with an intimate show in London.
Last month, the star revealed she is back in the studio, sharing a black and white picture of herself at a mixing desk on a newly-created Instagram account.
She wrote in the caption: “If only I could find the right words to explain how much I’ve missed you all. Working on coming back to you. Duffy x.”
As well as topping the charts, the soulful singer’s debut album saw her win three Brit Awards in 2009: British Breakthrough Artist, British Female Solo Artist and British Album of the Year. She also triumphed at the Grammys, taking home Best Pop Vocal Album.
Rape Crisis offers support for those affected by rape and sexual abuse. You can call them on 0808 802 9999 in England and Wales, 0808 801 0302 in Scotland, and 0800 0246 991 in Northern Ireland, or visit their website at www.rapecrisis.org.uk. If you are in the US, you can call Rainn on 800-656-HOPE (4673)