MSG Sues Wired Over Story That Claimed Arena Kept List of LGBTQ Celebs

Madison Square Garden is sued Conde Nast-owned Wire magazine over a story claiming that MSG kept a database that listed the LGBTQ status of several celebrities.

The arena filed the defamation lawsuit against the magazine and its parent company Condé Nast on July 16 over the story, “Madison Square Garden Kept a List of Gay Celebrities.”

“This was not reporting—it was a personal attack on MSG and its leadership carried out under the guise of journalism,” the lawsuit said.

The story, which was published on July 9, alleges that MSG data leaked by the hacking group ShinyHunters revealed that the arena kept a list of around 40,000 prominent people. Almost 400 of these people were reportedly assigned a “risk” level.

While analyzing the data, the publication said it found that the arena also listed the sexual orientation, gender status, and race of some of these celebrities. The story said 93 people were labeled as “LGBTQIA,” including singers Phoebe Bridgers and Ricky Martin.

The reporting immediately caused backlash against the arena. Assemblymember Tony Simone called for legislature “to outlaw discriminatory biometric data collection that [Madison Square Garden Chairman Jim] Dolan has used for years to exclude the public from his properties.”

A statement from MSG said Wired’s reporting was inaccurate and said the arena was pursuing legal remedies.

“Wired combed the dark web, obtained data stolen from MSG by an extortionist hacking group, and cherry-picked fragments of that data to manufacture a false narrative portraying MSG as targeting the LGBTQIA community for discriminatory purposes,” the lawsuit said.

The lawsuit does not deny that the arena kept this information, however it said the framing of it is false. Part of the lawsuit revolves around the headline of the article, which it said was written to imply that MSG keeps a list specifically of LGBTQ celebrities.

The lawsuit also said that the article incorrectly implies that the LGBTQ celebrities were the same ones given a “risk” label.

“The Article’s implication that MSG maintains a database with a sexual orientation field for exclusionary, discriminatory, security, or risk-based purposes is a lie,” the lawsuit said.

Instead, the lawsuit claims that MSG uses the information to further inclusion by “extending invitations to LGBTQIA support events, identifying sales and sponsorship opportunities, and facilitating charitable donations and community outreach.”

Shortly after the lawsuit was made public, Wired’s leadership released a statement defending the article.

“We stand by this reporting, and plan to vigorously defend it against this baseless and ridiculous lawsuit,” the statement said.

Wired journalists Noah Shachtman, Maddy Varner, and Katie Drummond were also included on the lawsuit. In particular, the lawsuit targeted Shachtman, who appeared on NBC News NOW and CBS News 24/7 to discuss the story.

Shachtman, Varner, and Drummond did not respond to a request for comment, nor did Condé Nast corporate.

This is not the first story the magazine has published on the arena and its surveillance methods. In April, Wired published another story about MSG’s alleged use of facial-recognition technology to track a transgender woman.

“We look forward to continuing our coverage of MSG, and on billionaire James Dolan’s use of technology across his entertainment empire,” Wired’s counter-statement continued. “It’s one part of our wider mission and the critical job of journalists, now more than ever: holding power to account.”