“Mercy” singer Duffy reveals secret anguish: “I was raped and drugged and held captive”

Dave M. Benett/Getty ImagesIf you don’t remember Welsh singer Duffy, you probably remember her hit, “Mercy” — a contestant just used it to audition for American Idol this past Sunday.  After her 2010 album Endlessly was released, she dropped out of the spotlight, and now she’s revealed the horrifying reason why.

On Instagram, Duffy writes, “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.”

She then reveals, “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?” Duffy continues. “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 says soon, she’ll post what she calls a “spoken interview,” and says she’s willing to answer fans’ questions.

“I have a sacred love and sincere appreciation for your kindness over the years,” she notes. “You have been friends. I want to thank you for that.”

But, Duffy warns, “Please respect this is a gentle move for me to make, for myself…Please support me to make this a positive experience.”

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