Sting sued by former Police bandmates for millions over lost ‘Every Breath You Take’ royalties

Sting sued by former Police bandmates for millions over lost ‘Every Breath You Take’ royalties

Sting has been slapped with a hefty lawsuit by his former police bandmates, and it’s all over millions in alleged missing royalties. The New York Post can confirm. The British rockstar was sued in London by the group’s guitarist, Andy Summers, and drummer, Stuart Copelan, over their iconic 1983 song, Every Breath You Take. The 73-year-old frontman is said to earn a staggering $740,000 a year in royalties from the hit track, which became the fifth best-selling song of the 1980s. However, Sting’s bandmates claim they were not handed songwriting credits on the single and have not seen a dime from the song’s commercial success. London High Court’s database lists the documents viewed by the Post as general commercial contracts and arrangements. The documents list the Roxan Singer as a defendant under his real name, Gordon Matthew Sumner. His company, Magnetic Publishing Limited, is also listed as a defendant. A source told The Sun, quote, “This has been coming for quite some time. Lawyers tried repeatedly to reach an outofc court settlement, but hit a stalemate. Andy and Steuart decided there was no alternative than court, so press the button.” They say they are owed millions in lost royalties. The Police was formed by Copelan in 1977 and almost immediately shot to global stardom with the release of their 1979 album Reata de Blanc. The group racked up five number one singles in the UK and topped the US charts with the release of Every Breath You Take. Four decades later, it remains a classic, although critics say it sounds more like a stalker’s anthem. And we’ll be sure to be watching every move of this legal battle.

That’s gotta sting. Sting has been slapped with a hefty lawsuit by his former Police bandmates over missing royalties, The Post can confirm. The British musician, 73, was sued in London by the group’s guitarist Andy Summers and drummer Stewart Copeland over their hit 1983 song “Every Breath You Take.”

Read more at: https://nypost.com/2025/08/27/entertainment/sting-sued-by-former-police-bandmates-for-millions-over-lost-royalties-report/

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