Kennedy Center ordered to pay $250,000 in legal fees to musician who canceled over Trump name change
D.C. Superior Court Judge Tanya Jones Bosier ordered the Kennedy Center to pay $252,479.70 in legal fees to jazz musician Chuck Redd. The order follows the June dismissal of the center's breach of contract lawsuit against Redd, who canceled his 2025 Christmas Eve performance to protest the addition of President Donald Trump's name to the venue. The court previously ruled that the Kennedy Center failed to prove a contract existed or that it suffered damages. The Kennedy Center plans to appeal.
Court-ordered legal fee payment
▪The Kennedy Center has 45 days from the August 2026 order to issue the legal fee funds to jazz musician Chuck Redd.
▪D.C. Superior Court Judge Tanya Jones Bosier ordered the Kennedy Center to pay $252,479.70 in legal fees to jazz musician Chuck Redd.
▪A spokesperson for the Kennedy Center stated that the organization intends to appeal the judge's decision regarding the legal fees.
Kennedy Center lawsuit dismissal
▪Judge Tanya Jones Bosier ruled that the Kennedy Center failed to prove Chuck Redd had signed a contract to perform at the venue.
▪Judge Tanya Jones Bosier dismissed the Kennedy Center's breach of contract lawsuit against Chuck Redd in June 2026.
▪The court found that the Kennedy Center did not lose ticket sales because the scheduled Christmas Eve concert was a free event.
Trump name addition controversy
▪U.S. District Judge Christopher R. Cooper ruled in May 2026 that adding President Donald Trump's name to the Kennedy Center was illegal.
▪The Kennedy Center added President Donald Trump's name to its facade in 2025, sparking a legal battle over the venue's branding.
▪The Kennedy Center removed President Donald Trump's name from its facade in June 2026 to comply with a court deadline.
Artist performance cancellations
▪Jazz musician Chuck Redd canceled his scheduled performance at the Kennedy Center's annual Christmas Eve Jazz Jam on December 19, 2025.
▪Multiple scheduled artists withdrew from the Kennedy Center's Christmas Eve Jazz Jam, leading to the complete cancellation of the event.
▪Chuck Redd had performed at the Kennedy Center's annual Christmas Eve event for 19 years prior to his cancellation in 2025.
Political retaliation allegations
▪The Kennedy Center accused Chuck Redd of violating a morals clause by publicly sharing his political reasons for canceling his performance.
▪The Kennedy Center's then-president, Richard Grenell, initially threatened to sue Chuck Redd for $1 million in damages.
▪Chuck Redd's attorney, Lisa J. Banks, accused the Kennedy Center of filing a meritless lawsuit to silence opposition to its name change.
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