The Kennedy Center is seeking $1 million in damages from veteran jazz musician Chuck Redd after he withdrew from his long-running Christmas Eve concert following the venue’s controversial renaming linked to President Donald Trump. The dispute has drawn national attention, highlighting tensions between artists, politics, and one of America’s most prominent cultural institutions.
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Why is the Kennedy Center seeking $1 million from Chuck Redd? Complete drama explained
The Kennedy Center is demanding $1 million from jazz musician Chuck Redd after he canceled his Christmas Eve concert over the Trump-linked renaming of the venue
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The newly-opened John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, USA, 1971. (Photo by Pictorial Parade/Archive Photos/Getty Images)BREAKING: OMG. Trump’s team sues musician who cancelled his Kennedy Center concert for $1 million over his “political stunt!”
Trump is apparently so butthurt that legendary jazz musician Chuck Redd cancelled his traditional Christmas jazz concert at the Kennedy Center over… pic.twitter.com/xHKUJCweK5
— Occupy Democrats (@OccupyDemocrats) December 27, 2025
Chuck Redd, 67, canceled his annual “Jazz Jam” holiday performance less than a week before it was scheduled to take place. The concert had been a Kennedy Center tradition for nearly 20 years, with Redd hosting the event since 2006.
His decision came shortly after the Kennedy Center updated its branding to include President Trump’s name, a move that sparked widespread debate.
Kennedy Center responds to Chuck Redd’s cancellation with damage claim
On Friday, December 26, Kennedy Center president Richard Grenell publicly addressed the cancellation in a letter obtained by Fox News, the Associated Press, and The New York Times.
In the letter, Grenell criticized Redd’s withdrawal and formally demanded $1 million in damages, describing the cancellation as politically motivated.
“Your decision to withdraw at the last moment — explicitly in response to the Center’s recent renaming, which honors President Trump’s extraordinary efforts to save this national treasure — is classic intolerance and very costly to a non-profit Arts institution,” Grenell wrote. He further labeled the move a “political stunt.”
Grenell also cited financial concerns, claiming the cancellation compounded existing challenges.
“Your dismal ticket sales and lack of donor support, combined with your last-minute cancellation, has cost us considerably,” he stated. The letter concluded with a broader message about artistic responsibility: “True artists perform for everyone regardless of the political affiliation of audience members.”
Kennedy Center renaming controversy and broader fallout
The controversy follows an announcement made on December 18 by White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who said the Kennedy Center’s board had “voted unanimously” to rename the venue “The Trump Kennedy Center,” formally titled “The Donald J. Trump and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.”
The rebranding occurred after Trump, during his second term, removed existing board members and appointed new ones, later becoming chairman of the institution.
Critics have argued that because the Kennedy Center was established by an act of Congress as a living memorial to President John F. Kennedy, only Congress has the authority to approve a formal name change.
Despite this, the venue quickly updated its website, social media branding, and exterior signage to reflect Trump’s name.
Redd explained his decision to cancel in an email to the Associated Press, stating,
“When I saw the name change on the Kennedy Center website and then hours later on the building, I chose to cancel our concert.”
He has not publicly commented further and could not be reached for additional remarks.
Redd is not alone in stepping away from scheduled performances. According to the Associated Press, Issa Rae and Lin-Manuel Miranda have also canceled appearances at the Kennedy Center this year amid political concerns.
Responding to the growing backlash, Kennedy Center vice president of public relations Roma Daravi told Fox News,
“Any artist canceling their show at the Trump Kennedy Center over political differences isn’t courageous or principled — they are selfish, intolerant, and have failed to meet the basic duty of a public artist: to perform for all people.”
TOPICS: Kennedy Center
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