Sting Says Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ Allegations ‘Don’t Tarnish’ Hit Song ‘Every Breath You Take’

Sting doesn’t feel the disturbing sexual misconduct allegations facing Sean “Diddy” Combs “plagued” the English rocker’s hit, “Every Breath You Take.”

Written by Sting, 73, for his former band The Police, the 1983 track was famously sampled by Diddy, 55, in his 1997 song “I’ll Be Missing You” with Faith Evans.

In a new interview with Los Angeles Times published Monday, Sting was asked if his relationship with his song has changed since Diddy’s arrest in September on charges of sex trafficking, extortion and transportation to engage in prostitution.

The rock legend gave an unequivocal answer: “No.”

“I mean, I don’t know what happened (with Diddy),” he admitted. “But it doesn’t tarnish the song for me at all.”

“It’s still my song,” he added of his original song.

After the interviewer chimed in and said, “People still love to hear that,” Sting replied, “Absolutely.

Speaking about his 2023 collaboration with Pink and Marshmello, “Dreaming,” which samples a solo song of his, 1993’s “Fields of Gold,” Sting revealed how he views sampling more broadly.

When asked why he thinks his music continues to “draw” younger musicians, Sting said: “I have no idea, but when somebody wants to interpolate or whatever it’s called, I never object because I’m always learning something about the song that I didn’t know or expect.”

“And I get paid, so why not? It keeps them updated.”

“Songs are living organisms – you have to keep breathing life into them or give them new bedfellows,” he added.

In addition to giving Diddy his blessing to sample “Every Breath You Take” in “I’ll Be Missing You,” Sting performed with the hip-hop startup at the 1997 MTV Video Music Awards.

Combs was arrested Sept. 16 in New York City following a months-long investigation by federal investigators into the disgraced music mogul’s alleged sexual misconduct. In an unsealed indictment, U.S. attorneys alleged that Diddy lured victims into so-called “freak offs,” involving sex acts with male prostitutes that were often recorded while the music producer masturbated.

Diddy, who has maintained his innocence since his arrest, is currently being held without bail at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center (aka MDC) while awaiting trial. His requests for bail have been repeatedly denied, although a judge has yet to rule on a new bail request Combs filed last week.

Perhaps surprisingly, streams of Diddy’s music jumped after his arrest. Singer R. Kelly similarly saw a streaming bump following his 2021 sentencing on sex-trafficking charges.

If you or someone you know has been sexually abused, text “STRENGTH” to the crisis text line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.