Welsh singer Duffy, who in 2020 revealed she had been drugged, raped and held hostage over several weeks, will share her story in a new Disney+ documentary.
Disney+’s EMEA content chief Angela Jain announced the feature-length Hulu Original at Series Mania on Wednesday, saying that the Grammy-winning artist feels finally ready to speak.
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. Then, she disappeared.
For 10 years, Duffy vanished from the public eye. And in 2020, in a harrowing Instagram post that shocked Britain, the musician shared that a decade earlier, she had been drugged, kidnapped, and taken to another country, where she was violently and sexually abused.
“She’s barely been seen or heard from since,” said Disney+. “Until now.”
“Documenting her life in this way for the first time, the documentary will be a retrospective film traversing Duffy’s life, from her upbringing in Wales, through to her meteoric rise to fame and her withdrawal from public life following her unfathomable experience,” according to the streamer. “The original documentary film will be driven by new, unprecedented access to Duffy, along with a rich and nostalgic archive, and interviews with family, friends and close peers in the music industry.”
The documentary is executive produced by Fernando De Jesus for Rare TV, who will produce the film in partnership with executive producer Matthew Worthy for Stellify Media. The film was commissioned out of the U.K. for Disney+ by Angela Jain, head of content, and Sean Doyle, vp, unscripted for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. It’ll be directed by Gill Callan from Northern Ireland.
“Fifteen years ago, Duffy was one of the most famous singers in the world. Her voice was distinctly recognizable and powerful. Songs “Mercy” and “Warwick Avenue” from her debut album led to three Brit Awards, a Grammy and Duffy being at the peak of her career. And then she disappeared,” said Doyle. “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,” he added.
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