Sting's 6 Children: Everything to Know

Sting is the proud father of six children.

The former frontman of The Police was previously married to actress Frances Tomelty from 1976 to 1984. The former couple share two children: son Joe Sumner, 46, and daughter Fuschia Sumner, 41.

Following the couple's split in the early '80s, Sting (born Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner) went on to marry Trudie Styler, in August 1992 after 10 years together. Sting and Styler share four children: Mickey Sumner, 39, Jake Sumner, 38, Eliot Sumner, 33, and Giacomo Sumner, 28.

During a February 2020 interview with PEOPLE, Sting opened up about how he "never intended to be a dad." The musician explained, "I became a dad by accident six times — that's how smart I am. Yet they were the happiest accidents of my life because they're remarkable human beings."

"I can't really take much credit for that, but they are, and they, too, have produced seven grandchildren at this point, who are also wonderful," he continued. "So all of this has happened by accident. I didn't intend to be the patriarch of a tribe, but I am."

Of his parenting style, he noted that he drew on his own upbringing in England for inspiration, and raised his children to be independent.

"My kids are fiercely independent," he explained. "They're not sitting there waiting for a handout at all, and I wouldn't want to rob them of that adventure in life: to make your own living. It's a wonderful and difficult thing to do. So I haven't promised them anything. I'll obviously help them if they're in trouble, but they're not waiting for a handout. They're too independent."

Here's everything to know about Sting's six children.

Joe Sumner, 46

Sting's eldest child was born on Nov. 23, 1976, in London, one year before Sting would go on to form The Police. Joe went to school at the Cambridge School of Weston before attending Richmond University in London for college, where he studied environmental science.

Much like his father, Joe went on to pursue music as his full-time career. As a teenager, Joe became inspired to write his own lyrics largely due to Nirvana's 1991 album Nevermind. Along with a schoolmate, he formed the band Fiction Plane in 1999, releasing their debut album Everything Will Never Be OK in March 2003. Years later in 2007, Fiction Plane became the opening band for The Police's reunion tour.

During a July 2007 interview with Pop Matters, Joe addressed the nepotism involved in his band getting the gig to open up for The Police. He joked, "We earned it, man. We worked from the street. No, my dad called me up and gave me the gig. I almost said no because I feel like it's a big sellout in a lot of ways. I figured if I don't do it, I'll just be pissed for a long time."

One decade later, in January 2017, Joe prepared to open for his father again, this time on his 57th & 9th tour. Ahead of the first date, the musician spoke to The Globe and Mail about rejecting music early on in his life. He explained, "My intent with music was to create something genuine and heartfelt and with credibility and not be using celebrity connections to further it. And as I got older, I realized that by denying it, hiding it and staying away from it, I was missing a huge part of who I am and therefore I wasn't creating something with integrity and genuine."

He added that his parents didn't necessarily approve or disapprove of his decision to pursue music. Joe added, "It's a tough career, but what are they going to say? Are we going to tell you not to do it? So I did it. After a while I kind of established that I had something to say and some level of talent, so they were cool with it. They've always been very nice and supportive."

In October 2021, the father-son duo participated in UCLA's Institute of the Environment and Sustainability virtual gala, performing "Message in a Bottle," per Billboard.

In addition to his career as a musician, Joe has founded several startups. In 2011, he founded the now-defunct app Vyclone, followed by the 2013 app WEEV which he founded with actor Stephen Moyer. He is also the father of four children, including three daughters and one son, whom he shares with his wife, Kate Finnerty Sumner.

Fuschia Sumner, 41

Sting and Tomelty welcomed their second child together on April 17, 1982, in London. Fuschia went on to graduate from the University of the West of England with a degree in English literature and drama.

While Joe followed in his father's footsteps by pursuing music, Fuschia followed in her mother's by becoming an actress. Over the years, she has had roles in several movies and television shows, including Being Michael Madsen and Saving Mr. Banks.

For her father's 70th birthday in October 2021, Fuschia called Sting the "hardest working man" she knows on Instagram, adding, "He never stops, ever! I've been smiling ear to ear watching him play with the Parthenon in view these past two nights…LOVE YOU DAD."

Mickey Sumner, 39

Born Brigitte Michael "Mickey" Sumner on Jan. 19, 1984, in London, Mickey is the eldest child of Sting and his second wife, Styler. Mickey moved to New York City in 2004, where she earned her BFA in Fine Art at Parsons School of Design. She originally intended to become a model, but soon realized that her true calling was acting. She later referred to herself as "the world's worst model" in a September 2013 interview with W Magazine.

"I got a BFA in Fine Art, and then I told my family I was going to be an actress," she recalled during a May 2013 interview with Interview Magazine. "They were like, 'What? Where is your fallback plan?' "

Mickey began with small roles in short films during her time in N.Y.C. while she was studying at Parsons. She told ContentMode that around this time, she began working with the Safdie brothers, Joshua and Benjamin, as well as Alex Kalman and Casey Neistat. In 2011, Mickey went on to land a four-episode role as Francesca on Showtime's The Borgias. The following year in 2012, Mickey would star opposite Greta Gerwig in the critically acclaimed film Frances Ha as the character Sophie Levee. Her other roles include the series Low Winter Sun and films like Battle of the Sexes and The End of the Tour. She currently stars in Snowpiercer, whose fourth and final season will air in 2023.

As for her personal life, Mickey got engaged to entrepreneur Chris Kantrowitz in June 2016, and the couple tied the knot in Tuscany, Italy, in July 2017. They welcomed their first child together on Dec. 31, 2016, a son named Akira Rogue Kantrowitz. She recounted her son's birth in an essay for Romper in April 2021, sharing that her son was born on New Year's Eve at her parents' home. Akira spent three weeks in the NICU following his birth and received several inaccurate diagnoses throughout that time.

"At this moment in time, Akira is nonverbal, he is not walking, he is hard of hearing in both ears, has hypotonia, and global delays, and yet, regardless of all the things some people think he might be 'missing,' he can connect with people on a level that makes everyone feel deeply seen and deeply loved," she wrote.

Jake Sumner, 38

Sting and Tyler welcomed their second child together on May 24, 1985, in Paris. Jake's birth was featured in the 1985 documentary about his father's burgeoning solo career called Bring On The Night, which was directed by Michael Apted. Today, Jake is a filmmaker in addition to his role as creative director of the production company AllDayEveryDay.

Much like his mother, he has directed several award-winning documentaries, including Fantastic Man: Who is William Onyeabor and I Was There When House Took Over The World. He's also directed films as well as commercial content for several lifestyle and luxury brands including Nike, Google, and Tiffany and Co. Additionally, he's collaborated with the likes of Pharrell Williams for his initiative Parley For the Oceans, has directed music videos for Bruno Mars and is developing a documentary about the N.Y.C. concert promoter Ron Delsener called The Last Promoter: The Ron Delsener Story.

Eliot Sumner, 33

Eliot Paulina Sumner was born on July 30, 1990, in Pisa, a city located in Tuscany, Italy. Eliot grew up in Wiltshire, England, and recalled being gifted their first guitar for their 4th or 5th birthday during an interview with The Cut. The musician wrote their first song when they were 13 years old before forming their band at age 14. Eliot attended boarding school at Bryanston School for three years before attending Hampstead Collage of Fine Arts when they were 17, according to The Independent.

The following year when they turned 18, Eliot got a multi-album deal with Island Records, an experience they recalled being a "difficult" process when it came to recording an album while still attending school at the same time. Under the band I Blame Coco, Eliot released their debut album The Constant in 2010. Years later, Eliot would release music under their own name, including the 2014 EP Information and the 2016 album of the same name.

After releasing two albums, Eliot began to "systematically sabotage" their own career, according to The Cut. "I didn't believe in what I was doing. It wasn't me," they told the outlet. Eliot moved to a cottage in the Lake District, a region in North West England, and stopped touring, working with their managers, drinking and going out. With this reset, Eliot would eventually discover an interest in house music. Today, they work as a DJ in dance clubs across Europe, performing under the moniker Vaal.

Following a handful of roles in the early aughts including Me Without You and Stardust, Eliot would restart their acting career with several roles in recent years. The musician and actor appeared in 2020's James Bond film No Time to Die, was cast in Showtime's Ripley and appeared in the film Infinite Storm.

During their 2016 interview with The Cut, Eliot reflected on their relationship with their siblings as well as their father, who they had recently beaten in a game of chess. Eliot said, "He was destroyed. But I think he was quite proud because he was like, 'Well, I've created something that's stronger than me intellectually.' "

When speaking about their older sister Mickey, Eliot said, "Her genius knows a wide spectrum. Most people are either artistic or academic, but she's both. I look up to her."

Giacomo Sumner, 28

Sting's youngest child was born on Dec. 17, 1995, in England. Giacomo went to college at California Lutheran University located in Thousand Oaks, California. He graduated in May 2020, with a bachelor's degree in criminal justice. Styler celebrated his educational milestone on social media, sharing a sweet post on Facebook to mark the moment alongside several childhood photos of Giacomo.

"Congratulations, G. Dad and I so very proud of you," she wrote in part in the post. "Your hard work has paid off! Sorry we are far apart on this important weekend - but this photograph even then speaks to your tenacity, your grit, and determination. We love you. ❤️ Mama and dad Sting."

Outside of his education, Giacomo has had small parts in a few films over the years, including We're Going to the Zoo, Ten Thousand Saints and American Typecast.

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