Welsh singer-songwriter Duffy criticized Netflix over its controversial drama film "365 Days" in an open letter, calling it "dangerous," Thursday, July 2.
The 36-year-old artist has written an open letter addressed to Netflix CEO Reed Hastings. In her letter, she recounted how she recently opened up about her own harrowing experience about being "drugged, kidnapped, trafficked and raped." She informed Hastings about her personal story and provided a link to her website.
"Today, I really don't know what to think, say, or do, other than to reach out and explain to you in this letter how irresponsible it was of Netflix to broadcast the film '365 Days'," she wrote in the letter. British publication The Sun has obtained a copy of the open letter.
She then pointed out that she was obliged to write the letter because she had to endure a "violent experience," the kind that the streaming giant has "chosen to present as 'adult erotica.'"
As for the Polish erotic-romantic thriller, the Welsh artist argued that it "glamorizes the brutal reality of sex trafficking, kidnapping, and rape." She added in the open letter to Reed Hastings that "this should not be anyone's idea of entertainment," further arguing that it shouldn't be commercialized this way.
Born Aimee Anne Duffy, the singer-songwriter also shared statistical info on human trafficking. Though she "cannot believe I am writing in 2020," she penned the letter as about 25 million people are victims of human trafficking, further added the others unaccounted for. She compared the figures as being "almost half the population of England."
The "Mercy" artist also expressed grief that Netflix for allowing "365 Days" to stream. She said that it eroticizes kidnapping and distorts sexual violence as a "'sexy' movie." She even pointed out how young women gush their lead actor, Michele Morrone, and ask him to "kidnap" them.
"365 Days" is a Polish film adapted from a Blanka Lipińska novel of the same name. In the novels, the story is the first of a trilogy. It follows a Polish woman, Laura Biel (played by Anna-Maria Sieklucka). She is taken and imprisoned by an influential Sicilian man, Don Massimo Toricelli (played by Morrone). Biel is given a year, or "365 Days," to fall in love with her captor.
Last April, the blue-eyed soul hitmaker put an end to longstanding speculations about her sudden disappearance from the limelight back in 2012. In a long blog post on her website, she recounted her four-week experience in captivity. READ MORE: "Rockferry" Artist Duffy Opens Up on Harrowing Kidnapping Experience Duffy first expressed doubt about sharing her story in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic. She wrote: "It troubles me that this story contains sorrow, when so many need the opposite of that at this time." She then added that she hopes that her story might serve as a "momentary distraction." If not, maybe it would provide comfort that "one can come out of darkness." Before providing a detailed account of her story, she shared some obstacles. The "Rockferry" singer opened up about being stopped by people towards doing so. She even pointed out that some threatened her. These people told her that her career will be over and that she'll receive nothing but scorn from the public. She then shared that it was during her birthday when she was drugged at a restaurant. This activity would continue for four weeks. She added that she was even taken to another country. "Rape stripped me of my human rights, to experience a life with autonomy from fear," Duffy wrote. Her four-week experience of sexual abuse and human trafficking came after her 2010 sophomore release, "Endlessly."
"Stripped of Human Rights To Experience A Life With Autonomy From Fear"
