Sting Says Diddy’s Arrest ‘Doesn’t Taint’ Sampled Police Song

Plug doesn’t let it Sean “Diddy” Combs‘ legal battles affect his opinion of The Police’s song, “Every Breath You Take.”

The 73-year-old musician (real name Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner) told Los Angeles Times in an interview published Monday, Nov. 11, that the latest allegations against the disgraced music mogul have no bearing on how he feels about the tune. Diddy, 55, sampled the song on his 1997 track, “I’ll Be Missing You,” which also featured Faith Evans and the R&B group 112.

“No one. I mean, I don’t know what happened (with Diddy),” Sting told the paper. “But it doesn’t tarnish the song for me at all. It’s still my song.”

The 17-time Grammy Award winner’s comments come amid a series of allegations against Diddy, who was arrested and charged with sex trafficking and extortion in September. He has been behind bars at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center since and has been denied bail several times.

Diddy’s latest legal troubles began in November 2023, when ex Cassie accused him of sexual assault and rape in a $40 million bombshell lawsuit. He denied her claims and the case was settled out of court a day after it was filed.

In the wake of the case, several individuals came forward with their own sexual assault lawsuits against the rapper, which eventually led to Homeland Security raiding Diddy’s homes in Miami and Los Angeles in connection with a sex-trafficking investigation.

Diddy’s 14-page indictment was unsealed a day after his Sept. 16 arrest in New York City. Court documents accuse Diddy of hosting parties known as “Freak Offs,” which he allegedly taped. He also allegedly “distributed a number of controlled substances to victims” as a control tactic.

Diddy and his lawyers have vehemently denied the many accusations against him. The rapper pleaded not guilty to his charges of sex trafficking and extortion.

“He’s an imperfect person, but he’s not a criminal,” his attorney, Marc Agnifilo told Us Weekly in a statement at the time. “To his credit, Mr. Combs has been nothing but cooperative with this investigation and he voluntarily moved to New York last week in anticipation of these charges. Please reserve judgment until you have all the facts. These are the actions of an innocent man with nothing to hide and he looks forward to clearing his name in court.”

Since his arrest, however, Diddy has continued to face multiple allegations during his time behind bars.

Related: Diddy predicted he would be arrested for his parties in a re-recorded interview

Decades before he was indicted on sex trafficking and littering charges, Sean “Diddy” Combs predicted he would end up in trouble with the law. “They’re probably going to arrest me and do all kinds of crazy things just because we want to have a good time,” Diddy, now 54, told Entertainment Tonight in 1999. “When you (…)

A witness named Courtney Burgess testified before a federal grand jury on Oct. 31, claiming he obtained 11 flash drives containing evidence against Diddy, per NewsNation. Videos on the flash drive allegedly contain footage of eight intoxicated celebrities who appeared to be “victims” of Diddy’s alleged crimes. (Us contacted Diddy’s team for comment at the time.)

Diddy’s trial is set for May 5, 2025. Earlier this month, he filed his fourth request to be released from jail on bail.

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, get in touch National sexual assault hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).