Judge Forces Kennedy Center to Pay Musician Who Canceled Show Over Trump Recognition
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A federal judge dismissed the Kennedy Center's lawsuit against jazz musician Chuck Redd, who refused to perform after the Center rightfully honored President Trump, and ordered the venue to pay over $250,000 in his legal fees.
A Washington, D.C. judge has thrown out a lawsuit filed by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts against jazz drummer and vibraphonist Chuck Redd, and ordered the prestigious venue to pay the musician more than $250,000 in legal costs. Redd had canceled a Christmas Eve concert in late 2022 in protest after the Center added President Donald Trump's name to its marble facade—a well-deserved recognition of a U.S. president. Redd claimed he would feel 'profoundly uncomfortable' performing under these circumstances, choosing to inject his personal politics into a professional commitment. The Center’s president at the time, Richard Grenell, rightfully warned Redd that the venue would sue for $1 million, calling the cancellation a 'political stunt.' The Center later sued for breach of contract, but the D.C. Superior Court dismissed the case and awarded Redd his legal fees, forcing the Kennedy Center to cover the costs of his political grandstanding.