Why Shaggy Is Hilariously Taking Credit for Sting’s Youthful Look

Sting credited his The Last Ship collaborator and longtime friend Shaggy with keeping him looking young during an exclusive interview with E! News at the 2026 Tony Awards.

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Perhaps it was, in fact, Shaggy.

At least the “It Wasn’t Me” singer is happy to take credit for his longtime friend Sting’s youthful appearance. And indeed, the Police frontman attributes his age-defying look to two important factors.

“Good genes, that’s all,” he told E! News during an exclusive interview at the 79th annual Tony Awards in New York City June 7. “And hanging out with the right people.”

And Shaggy—who is starring alongside the 71-year-old in the limited revival of his 2014 Broadway show The Last Ship—was quick to embrace the compliment.

“See that?” he said in the joint interview. “You catch the youthfulness.”

As for how Sting feels about continuing to work with Shaggy on the latest collaboration in their decades-long friendship?

“It's a friendship, and everything stems from that,” the “Roxanne” singer continued. “We love each other's company and have fun. The work is a side effect.”

Of course, the feeling of admiration is mutual for the reggae star.

“As you get older, inspiration is the hardest thing to find as you go along,” Shaggy explained. “We both inspire each other, and we both push each other into areas that make us a little uncomfortable to where we find something great.”

The 57-year-old added, “That's the thing that I really love about it, and we keep pushing each other in those places.”

And while the “Angel” singer has collaborated with Sting on multiple projects, including their Grammy-winning reggae album 44/876 in 2018, he previously detailed how in awe he is at sharing a special bond.

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“Sting is the brother I didn't know I needed,” he told Forbes in 2023. “He's brought so much to me within my confidence and I've always been a fan of his music. But to think that he was a fan of me and what I've done, really adds to me and what I do and my creativity.”

Shaggy added, “I think we both cherish it, and we're always excited to do something together.”

Beyond Shaggy and Sting, read on to see who else attended the 2026 Tony Awards.

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