A judge in Washington has ruled that the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts must compensate jazz musician Chuck Redd with over $250,000 in legal fees. The decision follows the dismissal of the center’s lawsuit against Redd for breach of contract by the same judge, Tanya Jones Bosier of the District of Columbia Superior Court.
In 2025, Redd, an American drummer and vibraphonist, withdrew from his annual role as host of the center’s free Christmas Eve concert in response to the controversial addition of Donald Trump’s name to the building’s portico. Redd’s attorney, Lisa J. Banks, stated to CBC News that no individual should have to endure baseless lawsuits driven by political motives from the Trump Administration.
Redd, who had been hosting and performing at the center’s Christmas Eve concerts for years, backed out of the event last year after Trump’s name was displayed on the building. The center then threatened to sue Redd for withdrawing at the last minute, citing intolerance and seeking $1 million in damages. However, the lawsuit was later dismissed by the Washington judge due to insufficient evidence of a breach of contract.
In a separate ruling in May, a federal judge declared that Trump’s name had been unlawfully added to the Kennedy Center. This decision stemmed from a conflict initiated when Trump took over the center, dismissing the long-standing chair, David Rubinstein, in February.
Since these changes, various figures in the arts and culture sphere have distanced themselves from the center or canceled appearances, including Canadian Author Louise Penny, Shonda Rimes, and Issa Rae. The Kennedy Center confirmed in June that the letters spelling out Trump’s name had been removed from the facade, although a tarp remained covering the scaffolding, obscuring the final wording.
The Kennedy Center plans to appeal the decision while Redd’s legal team commended the judge’s ruling as appropriate. They criticized the center for attempting to stifle opposition to the unauthorized name change through a baseless lawsuit against Chuck Redd.
The Kennedy Center, a renowned institution that hosts over 2,000 events annually and houses the National Symphony Orchestra and the Washington National Opera, continues to be at the center of the ongoing legal and controversy surrounding the naming issue.