Madison Square Garden sues WIRED over LGBTQ celebrity watchlist report

Key Points:

• Madison Square Garden Entertainment (MSG) has filed a 40-page defamation lawsuit against WIRED magazine, accusing it of using stolen data to falsely claim MSG maintains a secret blacklist targeting LGBTQ celebrities.
• WIRED's article alleged MSG tracked VIP guests' race, sexual orientation, and gender identity, assigning "risk scores" to celebrities, with some labeled as "DO NOT HOST" based on social media criticism rather than safety threats.
• MSG contends the data was part of a routine relationship management system, not discriminatory, and accuses WIRED of cherry-picking information while ignoring mundane data fields like addresses and dietary restrictions.
• WIRED stands by its reporting, calling the lawsuit baseless and emphasizing its mission to hold powerful entities accountable, while the data was exposed following a cyberattack by the ShinyHunters hacking group.
• The hacked data reportedly includes nearly 40,000 names, with close to 100 labeled as LGBTQIA, and highlights the use of facial recognition technology at MSG venues under billionaire James Dolan's ownership.