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."