Madison Square Garden Maintained Internal ‘Risk’ List That Tracked Artists’ Sexual Orientation

A leaked internal database from Madison Square Garden has exposed a sprawling “talent” surveillance operation that classified roughly 400 musicians, actors, and public figures by risk level, while separately flagging dozens for their perceived sexual orientation, a WIRED report revealed. The list, totaling nearly 40,000 names, was obtained by hackers who stole and ransomed venue data.

The risk tiers range from a simple “flagged” status to low, medium, and high designations. Rappers Freddie Gibbs, Lil Jon, DaBaby, and A Boogie Wit da Hoodie were each marked as high risk. Vocal Knicks supporters Jadakiss and Fat Joe were placed in the medium category, a list that also includes Morgan Wallen, Lily Allen, David Harbour, and Vogue’s Anna Wintour. Figures like Ice Spice, Selena Gomez, Tracy Morgan, and Ben Stiller were labeled low risk.

More alarming is a separate notation appended to specific entries. The database tracked at least 89 individuals under the label “LGBTQIA” for reasons that remain unexplained. Among those tagged are Ricky Martin and Phoebe Bridgers, who performed at the venue in June, as well as Geese musician Emily Green. The broad, unsolicited cataloging of sexual orientation carries no stated security function.

The report adds a distinct privacy concern to a venue group already under scrutiny. In 2023, MSG’s parent company, run by James Dolan, faced widespread criticism for deploying facial recognition to bar entry to lawyers from firms actively suing the company—a practice a judge later allowed to stand. The Sphere in Las Vegas, also under Dolan’s control, falls under the same risk-list apparatus, confirming the surveillance posture extends far beyond a single arena.