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

Sting isn’t letting Sean “Diddy” Combs‘ legal battles affect his opinion on The Police’s song, “Every Breath You Take.”

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

“No. I mean, I don’t know what went on [with Diddy],” Sting told the outlet. “But it doesn’t taint the song at all for me. It’s still my song.”

The 17-time Grammy Award winner’s comments come amid a slew of allegations against Diddy, who was arrested and charged with sex trafficking and racketeering in September. He has remained behind bars at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center since and has been denied bail multiple 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 one day after it was filed.

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

Diddy’s 14-page indictment was unsealed one day after his September 16 arrest in New York City. The court docs accuse Diddy of hosting parties known as “Freak Offs,” which he is said to have recorded. He also allegedly “distributed a variety of controlled substances to victims” as a control tactic.

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

“He is an imperfect person, but he is 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 relocated to New York last week in anticipation of these charges. Please reserve your judgment until you have all the facts. These are the acts 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 more allegations during his time behind bars.

A witness named Courtney Burgess testified before a federal grand jury on October 31, claiming he was given 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 reached out to Diddy’s team for comment at the time.)

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

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).