"Please respect this is a gentle move for me to make"
When the single 'Mercy' proved a major hit in 2008, everyone thought Duffy was going to be the next big thing. Sadly, behind the scenes, the singer experienced a harrowing trauma.
Duffy followed 'Mercy' with her first album 'Rockferry', named after her debut single. It was the best-selling album in the UK that year and sold over 7 million copies worldwide.
It went on to win a Grammy award while the musician won three BRIT awards in 2009.
Duffy's second album, 'Endlessly' in 2010, proved less successful and she went on a career hiatus.
Aside from the occasional acting job and work on the soundtrack for the 2015 film 'Legend', her appearances in the limelight have remained infrequent and obscure.
In a heartbreaking Instagram post yesterday, she explained the reason for her extended hiatus was she had been "raped and drugged and held captive for some days".
After it happened, she says she didn't want to use music to sing about her pain.
She said it felt "liberating" to open up about the experience but that "the recovery took time". She also wrote "please trust me that I am ok and safe now."
https://www.instagram.com/p/B8_95uYhFMQ/
If you are affected by any of these issues, the National 24-Hour Helpline of the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre is 1800 77 8888.