Madison Square Garden Kept "Risk" List of Celebrities Tracked Sexual Orientation: Report

Key Points:

• Madison Square Garden (MSG) maintained a secret "risk list" of nearly 40,000 celebrities, including rappers, musicians, and actors, categorizing about 400 individuals by risk level (low, medium, high) and noting their race, gender, and sexuality, according to a report by WIRED.
• Notable figures labeled "high risk" include rappers Freddie Gibbs, Lil Jon, DaBaby, and A Boogie Wit da Hoodie, while vocal Knicks fans Jadakiss and Fat Joe were marked "medium risk"; others like Anna Wintour and David Harbour also received medium-risk designations.
• The list controversially flagged some celebrities as "LGBTQIA" without clear explanation, including Ricky Martin and Phoebe Bridgers, and identified certain individuals as "do not host," denying them complimentary tickets, often linked to past criticisms of MSG CEO James Dolan.
• The risk list was leaked by hackers who stole data from MSG, which also applies to The Sphere in Las Vegas, a Dolan family-owned venue; MSG has denied the report's accuracy and is pursuing legal action.
• This revelation follows previous controversies involving MSG's use of facial recognition technology to monitor attendees and exclude certain individuals, highlighting ongoing tensions between the venue’s management and some celebrities.