A judge in Washington has ruled that the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts must compensate jazz artist Chuck Redd with over $250,000 in legal fees. This decision follows the dismissal of the center’s lawsuit against Redd for breach of contract by Judge Tanya Jones Bosier of the District of Columbia Superior Court.
In 2025, Charles Redd, a renowned American drummer and vibraphonist, withdrew from his longstanding position as host of the center’s annual free Christmas Eve concert in protest of the controversial addition of Donald Trump’s name to the building’s exterior. Redd’s lawyer, Lisa J. Banks, condemned the lawsuit filed by the Trump Administration as baseless and politically motivated.
Having been a fixture at the center’s Christmas Eve concerts for years, Redd pulled out of the event at short notice after Trump’s name was affixed to the building. The center threatened to sue Redd for withdrawing, citing intolerance and seeking $1 million in damages. However, the lawsuit was ultimately dismissed by the judge due to the lack of a valid breach of contract claim.
In a separate ruling, a federal judge deemed the addition of Trump’s name to the Kennedy Center unlawful. The controversy began when Trump ousted long-time Kennedy Center chair David Rubinstein, stating that those who did not align with his vision for the institution were being removed.
Since the alterations at the Kennedy Center, numerous figures in the arts and culture sphere have distanced themselves from the venue or canceled appearances, including Canadian author Louise Penny, Shonda Rhimes, and Issa Rae. The signage bearing Trump’s name has since been removed, although the scaffolded area was still concealed by a tarp in June.
The Kennedy Center plans to appeal the judge’s decision while Redd’s legal team praised the ruling as appropriate, denouncing the center’s attempt to stifle opposition to the name change through a frivolous lawsuit. The Kennedy Center, known for hosting over 2,000 events annually and serving as the official home of the National Symphony Orchestra and the Washington National Opera, remains embroiled in this ongoing dispute.