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For decades we’ve known about Sting and his wife’s supposed seven-hour tantric sex marathons – and he’s just divulged even more about what goes on in their yoga-fuelled bedroom antics.
The music legend, 73, and his film director wife Trudie Styler, 71 – who married in 1992 – have been plagued by sniggers ever since Sting talked about their ‘tantric sex’ habits in a 90s interview.
When asked about it in a recent interview with The Times, Sting seemed to shrug it off but added another joke to the history books.
‘It could be worse. And the seven hours includes dinner, a movie and five hours of begging,’ he quipped.
Previously Sting cleared up the tantric sex admission in Bravo series Inside The Actor’s Studio in 2014.
‘The idea of tantric sex is a spiritual act,’ he explained as per The Mail. ‘I don’t know any purer and better way of expressing a love for another individual than sharing that wonderful, I call it, “sacrament”. I would stand by it. Not seven hours, but the idea.’
He then joked, ‘Seven hours includes movie and dinner,’ making the audience laugh.
In a 2011 interview with The Telegraph, Trudie explained how she blamed the whole thing on Bob Geldof – Sting’s old friend.
‘Sting said that 21 years ago. He has just turned 60, and I imagine [the tantric story] will carry on going until he drops,’ she said.
‘Do you know who I blame for that? Bob Geldof. Him and Sting had gone to do an interview with a rock journalist, and the interview turned into a drinking session. At one point, the journalist asked how long they could go for, and Geldof said that he was a three-minute man, but, as Sting did yoga, he could probably go for hours. And Sting said, “Well, haven’t you heard of tantric sex?”‘
To that, Bob said he hadn’t, so Sting continued.
‘So Sting explained that it is all about being intimate, about caring for your partner, really engaging in intimacy before you, you know…’ Trudie said, continuing: ‘Well, you know, have sex. And that’s the premise of tantra, really. It’s simply engagement with your partner.’
While she ‘slightly’ wishes Sting hadn’t mentioned it in front of a journalist, she did find it ‘amusing’ at the time.
‘He had forgotten he had said it because he was completely rat-arsed,’ she told the publication.
Indeed, Bob also took responsibility for the Police frontman’s 1990 confession, as he retold the story while presenting his friend an Ivors Academy Fellowship in 2023.
What is tantric sex?
Tantric sex is a slow, meditative form of sex.
LELO’s sex and relationship expert Kate Moyle explained to Metro in 2022: ‘Tantric sex is about the focus of the experience being on mind-body connection.
‘[It’s about] enjoying the sensuality and pleasure, rather than being goal orientated. It’s about fully immersing yourself in what’s going on between you and your partner in that moment, and not on where it’s going.’
Tantric sex also focuses on the body as a whole, not just ‘genital experience’, Kate added.
‘While all sexual acts can be tantra-based as much of it is about being psychologically engaged, there may be less of a focus on the penetrative act of sex, and more about the sensual and explorative touch and using the breath to channel energy in the body.’
Joking with his pal, Bob insisted the tantric sex act was ‘pointless’ and that the couple would be better off ‘getting it over with.’
Addressing the guests – with Sting and Trudie laughing at their tables – Bob said: ‘He has been internationally acclaimed for 40 years with questions about tantric sex. Which, let me explain it in a nutshell, involves thinking about cricket scores for f*****g hours whilst you’re on the job. Why? What’s the point? Get it over with, it only has one end.’
‘That exact same question I innocently put to him during a joint Sting and Bob Q magazine interview many years ago which sent the tantric hares running.
‘I pointed out that I was a solid Irish three-minute man myself, and Geordie b*****d over there starts cracking on about holding it in, discipline yourself. Really? Why? Surely three minutes of skillful, considerate, gentle, Irish lovemaking beats hours of Geordie grunting and heaving.’
The Band Aid founder ended the embarrassing anecdote by explaining why he decided to tell it, saying ‘I bring this up again merely to illustrate the grim determination of a Geordie on the run. To keep running from that past you keep needing to leave behind forever and endlessly.’
In the lengthy introduction speech Geldof also got serious and paid tribute to Sting’s musical talents, and celebrated their ‘lifetime of friendship.’
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