Sting is being sued for millions of pounds over missing royalties by his former bandmates from The Police.
Sting, real name Gordon Matthew Sumner, 73, is now involved in another legal battle, as he is handed a High Court writ from guitarist Andy Summers and drummer Stewart Copeland.
The former band members are suing the frontman for millions, claiming ‘substantial’ damages.
A source detailed to The Sun: ‘This has been coming for quite some time.
‘Lawyers tried repeatedly to reach an out-of-court settlement but hit a stalemate.
‘Andy and Stewart decided there was no alternative than court, so pressed the button. They say they are owed millions in lost royalties.’
London’s High Court has listed the legal issue under ‘general commercial contracts and arrangements’ with Sting appearing under his real name as a defendant, and his company Magnetic Publishing Limited, also listed as a defendant.
The rock band formed in London in 1977 and consisted of Sting, Summers, and Copeland.
Over the years, the group has broken up and reformed, first parting ways in 1984 and most recently reuniting in 2008.
After their initial separation, Sting went on to have a successful solo career, releasing 15 albums between 1985 and 2021, many of which have gone platinum.
His most famous solo songs include Desert Rose, Fields of Gold, and Englishman in New York.
His most successful songs remain the ones he wrote for The Police’s five albums. He was the only writer for their most successful tracks (including Roxanne, Message in a Bottle, Don’t Stand So Close to Me, and Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic ), meaning he has collected the royalties for the past few decades.
Every Breath You Take was the best-selling single of 1983 and the fifth best-selling of the decade, with reports that Sting earns £550,000 a year in royalties.
A spokesperson for Sting denied to The Sun that the legal battle was regarding the hit track, Every Breath You Take.
Sting’s former bandmates aren’t the only ones to have had royalty issues with the singer. Sean Diddy Combs still pays Sting a large sum of money following a legal battle about royalties.
Combs famously sampled the track on his single, I’ll Be Missing You, with Faith Evans, which was released in 1997 – but didn’t ask for permission first, meaning the rocker has earned a fortune in royalties.
During an appearance on The Breakfast Club, Sting was questioned about the sample and explained that he gets $2,000 a day for the rest of the producer’s life. Diddy then rebutted, claiming he actually paid $5,000 a day.
Metro has reached out to representatives for Sting, Summers, and Copeland for comment.
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