Coachella Owner Phillip Anschutz Denies Supporting Anti-Gay Groups, Calls Reports 'Fake News'

Phillip Anschutz, the owner of the Coachella Music Festival‘s parent company AEG, is denying reports that he supports anti-gay groups after reports surfaced saying he has donated to LGBTQ hate groups.

Many music websites have reported that the 77-year-old businessman is a climate change denier, a supporter of the anti-gay movement, and an associate of the Koch Brothers.

Now, Anschutz is calling this all “fake news.”

“Recent claims published in the media that I am anti-LGBTQ are nothing more than fake news — it is all garbage. I unequivocally support the rights of all people without regard to sexual orientation. We are fortunate to employ a wealth of diverse individuals throughout our family of companies, all of whom are important to us — the only criteria on which they are judged is the quality of their job performance; we do not tolerate discrimination in any form,” Phillip said in a statement to Billboard.

Click inside to read the rest of the statement…

“Both The Anschutz Foundation and I contribute to numerous organizations that pursue a wide range of causes,” he continued. “Neither I nor the Foundation fund any organization with the purpose or expectation that it would finance anti-LGBTQ initiatives, and when it has come to my attention or the attention of The Anschutz Foundation that certain organizations either the Foundation or I have funded have been supporting such causes, we have immediately ceased all contributions to such groups.”

People have called for a boycott of Coachella, which is set to take place in April. The lineup was just announced and the headliners are Beyonce, Radiohead, and Kendrick Lamar.