Story perspectives

Madison Square Garden Sues WIRED Over Gay Celeb List Claim

7/18/2026

Summary

MSG Sues WIRED

Madison Square Garden sued WIRED in New York on July 16, 2026.
MSG alleges the July 9, 2026 WIRED story claimed the arena kept a list of gay celebrities for exclusion.
MSG says it collects sexual-orientation data only to promote inclusion, sponsorships and outreach and seeks a jury trial and damages.
WIRED, naming journalists Noah Shachtman, Maddy Varner and editor Katie Drummond, stands by the July 9, 2026 article and calls the suit baseless.

Summary

MSG Data Leak

ShinyHunters’ July 2026 intrusion leaked over 42 GB of MSG’s Salesforce data, exposing millions of records.
A class-action suit alleging MSG’s data breach was dismissed on July 1 after the venue refused the ransom.
MSG says it added the LGBTQIA field to its CRM in August 2022 for Pride outreach and limited editing to a few staff.
New York Attorney General Letitia James warns MSG’s biometric and data-collection practices may violate civil-rights and consumer-access laws.

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MSG Sues WIRED

Madison Square Garden sued WIRED in New York on July 16, 2026.
MSG alleges the July 9, 2026 WIRED story claimed the arena kept a list of gay celebrities for exclusion.
MSG says it collects sexual-orientation data only to promote inclusion, sponsorships and outreach and seeks a jury trial and damages.
WIRED, naming journalists Noah Shachtman, Maddy Varner and editor Katie Drummond, stands by the July 9, 2026 article and calls the suit baseless.

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