Overview
- A D.C. Superior Court order on Monday requires the Kennedy Center to pay Chuck Redd $252,479.70 in attorneys' fees and costs, with the amount due within 45 days and the center saying it will appeal.
- Judge Tanya M. Jones Bosier dismissed the center’s breach‑of‑contract suit in June after finding Redd never signed an agreement and ruling his public statement was protected under D.C.'s Anti‑SLAPP statute.
- Redd canceled the Kennedy Center’s free Christmas Eve “Jazz Jam” after the board voted on December 18, 2025 to add President Trump’s name to the building, and multiple artists withdrew from events following that vote.
- Then‑Kennedy Center president Richard Grenell initially threatened $1 million in damages and the center later offered to drop the suit if Redd paid $7,500, performed in 2026, and stayed silent about his reasons for canceling.
- A separate federal ruling ordered Trump’s name removed from the facade, the building remains partially tarped, and the case raises questions about board authority, artistic speech protections, and financial risks for organizations that sue critics.