Duffy makes first public appearance in 16 years following horrific ordeal

Duffy retired from the public eye in 2011, confessing in 2020 that she had been “raped and drugged and held hostage over some weeks”. However, during this week, the singer made an ultra-rare public appearance in a lowkey manner.

The Mercy hitmaker headed to Caffi Largo, a local café in Pwllheli, Wales. Local staff members posed for photos with Duffy, who looked beautiful in a black top and white skirt. Paying tribute to the star, the caption read: “Celebrity singer from Nefyn, Amy Duffy, popped into the Caffi this morning. Always lovely to see local talent supporting local spots.”

Unsurprisingly, the post has become the brand’s most liked social media post, with over 1,500 likes.

In the comments, fans shared support for the singer, with one penning: “One of the best singers to come out of the U.K. ever. Wishing her only strength and happiness.“

A second added: “All the power to Duffy! My wife absolutely loves her music,” while a third wrote: “Duffy so great to see you looking fabulous we LOVE your music! Sending you Love and Hugs.”

The singer’s appearance comes ahead of her return to the stage, with the Warwick Avenue hitmaker due to perform on 5 July at a “secret intimate gig”, where she will also be performing new material.

Confirming her return to the music industry, she shared an image of herself in a studio, saying: “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.”

Duffy’s absence

Duffy found fame through her soulful pop tunes in the early 2000s, before dramatically disappearing from public life. Returning a decade later, she revealed details of a harrowing kidnapping that is set to be the topic of a new Disney+ documentary featuring the very private popstar’s side of the story.

The star moved her sibling into her London flat in 2013 to help her cope with the pressures of fame; however, in 2020, she shared terrifying revelations on her social media platform that she had been held captive abroad, drugged and raped.

© Getty Images

She revealed that she had been assaulted and held captive over a period of days, adding: “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”.

Last year, a TikTok clip of the singer saw her lip syncing along to an upcoming remix of her noughties classic Mercy, leaving fans shocked to see her back in the public eye.