MSG Entertainment sues Wired Magazine for defamation over an article claiming the company tracked gay celebrities and rappers.
Noah Shachtman and Wired Magazine are facing a major defamation lawsuit from Madison Square Garden Entertainment after publishing an article that MSG claims deliberately misrepresented stolen data to create a false narrative about the company targeting rappers and LGBTQIA celebrities.
The lawsuit, filed July 16 in New York State Supreme Court, alleges that Wired obtained hacked information from an extortionist group and cherry-picked fragments to manufacture a story portraying MSG as discriminatory when the opposite is true.
MSG’s legal team argues that Wired knew exactly what it was doing when it constructed the headline “Madison Square Garden Kept a List of Gay Celebrities” from data the reporters themselves manipulated.
The company states that the information came from a standard customer relationship management platform used to serve customers and extend invitations to LGBTQIA events, identify sponsorship opportunities, and facilitate charitable donations.
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The stolen data contained dozens of mundane fields like addresses, phone numbers, and dietary restrictions alongside the sexual orientation designation, all used for relationship management purposes, not discrimination.
The lawsuit names Wired, reporter Noah Shachtman, co-author Maddy Varner, and editorial director Katie Drummond as defendants. MSG is seeking compensatory, presumed, special, and punitive damages, plus attorney’s fees and a jury trial.
The company also demands a correction or retraction of what it calls “shockingly unethical conduct” that was published with the intent to cause maximum public impact.
According to the MSG press release, Wired continued to promote the article in interviews and commentary for days after publication, without regard for accuracy.
This isn’t Shachtman’s first brush with journalistic controversy.
The lawsuit points out that in a previous role at another major publication, he was accused of omitting facts about a friend’s ties to child pornography from a story he was reporting.
MSG’s complaint emphasizes that this pattern of selective reporting and predetermined narratives demonstrates a troubling approach to journalism that prioritizes sensationalism over truth.
MSG has consistently supported the LGBTQIA community through substantial financial contributions to Pride organizations, recurring partnerships with LGBTQIA groups, a 300-member Pride Employee Resource Group, and participation in the New York City Pride March since 2022.
The company states it has never used sexual orientation data to determine whether anyone could enter MSG venues, receive tickets, appear at events, or face enhanced security measures.
As reported by USA Today, the 40-page complaint details how Wired’s reporting pattern has focused on fitting information into predetermined narratives rather than reporting facts accurately.
Wired has responded by standing by its reporting and vowing to vigorously defend against what it calls a “baseless and ridiculous lawsuit,” stating it will continue coverage of MSG and owner James Dolan’s use of technology across his entertainment empire.
The publication frames its work as holding power to account, a critical function of journalism.
However, MSG’s legal filing argues that Defendants crossed the line separating protected journalism from actionable defamation by knowingly publishing false information with reckless disregard for the truth.
The case is scheduled for a jury trial, with MSG seeking damages to be determined.