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

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

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

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

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

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

After the interviewer interjected and said, “People still like to hear it,” Sting responded, “Absolutely.

Speaking about his 2023 collaboration with Pink and Marshmello, ‘Dreaming’, which samples a solo track from his 1993 ‘Fields of Gold’, Sting revealed how he sees sampling more broadly.

When asked why he thinks his music continues to “attract” younger musicians, Sting said, “I have no idea, but if someone wants to interpolate or whatever it’s called, I never object because I always learn something about the song I didn’t know yet. or expected.”

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

“Songs are living organisms – you have to breathe 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 the hip-hop takeoff at the 1997 MTV Video Music Awards.

Combs was arrested in New York City on September 16 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 to participate in so-called “freak offs,” elaborate sex performances 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 the Metropolitan Detention Center (also known as MDC) in Brooklyn as he awaits trial. His bail requests have been repeatedly denied, although a judge has yet to rule on a new bail application 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 conviction on sex trafficking charges.

If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.