Celebrity
Sting’s popular song “Every Breath You Take” was sampled on Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ also-popular hit “I’ll Be Missing You” in 1997. Now, Sting is speaking out on the decision after Diddy’s arrest.
For years, Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs was one of the highest-profile celebrities in the hip-hop and R&B industry. Now though, the singer has had a major fall from grace. In 2023, Diddy’s ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, filed a lawsuit against him, citing years of abuse. And in early 2024, a video was released showing Diddy abusing Ventura in a hotel hallway.
After a lengthy investigation, Diddy was arrested in September 2024 on charges including sex trafficking and racketeering. Now, Sting, whose song “Every Breath You Take” was made even more famous by Diddy’s hip-hop song “I’ll Be Missing You” with Faith Evans, which sampled the melody from the original rock hit, is speaking out about whether the song has been impacted by Diddy’s arrest.
Sting has a brief answer when asked about his hit ‘Every Breath You Take’
Diddy was a producer, but he also had his share of hip-hop hits through the years, including “I Need a Girl,” “Bump, Bump, Bump,” and “I’ll Be Missing You.” The latter sampled the chorus from “Every Breath You Take” with the same beat and sound, but the lyrics were changed.
Of course, it only made Sting’s song more famous among a new audience, so it was welcomed at the time. But now that Diddy sits in jail, Sting has been asked if it’s tainted his original version. When the Los Angeles Times asked Sting whether Diddy’s arrest negatively impacted the song, he replied with a simple “no.”
“I mean, I don’t know what went on [with Diddy],” Sting said. “But it doesn’t taint the song at all for me.” Sting also added that it’s still his song and people still “absolutely” love to hear it.
When asked about letting other artists “interpolate” his songs into their own music, Sting said he always allows it because he “learns something new” about his music. “And I get paid, so why not?”
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs is currently awaiting trial
It could be a while before Diddy’s trial begins. The current date is May 2025, but it seems that trial dates are often being shifted. Right now, many celebrities are doing their best to distance themselves from the mogul, with a handful of people in the industry speaking out about Diddy’s situation.
Ray J recently revealed to TMZ that he heard some celebrities are paying off victims to avoid mentioning their names. And producer Suge Knight said that Diddy’s “life is in danger” because he knows so many “secrets” about high-profile celebrities who might do anything to keep their names out of the news.
Ultimately, the public will have to wait and see how it all goes down when Diddy’s trial does eventually begin.
