Today, Disney+ has announced plans to release a documentary based on Irish singer-songwriter Duffy. In collaboration with Hulu original, the documentary will be driven by “new, unprecedented access” to Duffy. The doc will cover her withdrawal from public life following her unfathomable experience as well as her experiences before and after.
Following a five year hiatus, in a statement which Duffy posted to her website in February 2020, she opened the curtain for fans who had long since awaited her return. She detailed a harrowing experience in which she was “raped and drugged and held captive over some days”. Further explaining her absence, she told fans “The recovery took time” but “trust me I am OK and safe now”.
This is not the first time that Disney+ has forayed into documentaries. Featured on the subscription service, fans of all types of artists are able to see well made and produced retellings/behind the scenes introspectives of some of the world’s biggest stars. Musical documentaries on Disney+ include ‘The Beatles: Get Back’, ‘Music by John Williams’ and arguably most popularly the concert film of ‘Taylor Swift, The Era’s Tour (Taylor’s Version’). Fans of Duffy will hope that her documentary will handle the subject material respectfully and delicately while allowing for an honest and raw retelling of events in connection with Sean Doyle, Disney+ Vice President assurance that “This film will give Duffy the chance to tell her story in her own words.”
Born Aimée Anne Duffy, the Welsh singer signed with A&M records in November 2007. Duffy’s debut album ’Rockferry’ was released in March 2008 and subsequently became the UK’s best selling album of the year. It’s most popular single ‘Mercy’ paired with Duffy’s raw and soulful vocal propelled the album to a Grammy Award in 2009, three Brit awards as well as three MOJO award nominations. Her second album ‘Endlessly’ was released in November 2010. Over the years which followed, Duffy cancelled festival and tour performances before featuring in the 2015 crime thriller ‘Legend’ to which she provided three songs for the soundtrack. In the years that followed, Duffy vanished from the public eye for the aforementioned reasons.
Disney+ have not yet released a date for Duffy’s documentary but fans can expect a “really powerful project” according to Disney+’s head of content Angela Jain.
