A judge in Washington has ruled that the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts must pay jazz musician Chuck Redd over $250,000 in legal fees. This 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, a renowned American drummer and vibraphonist, withdrew from his longstanding role 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 white marble portico. Redd’s attorney, Lisa J. Banks, stated, “No individual should have to endure the burden of defending against unfounded and politically motivated lawsuits brought by the Trump Administration.”
Charles Redd, known legally as Charles, has been a fixture at the center’s Christmas Eve concerts for years. However, he pulled out of the event last year shortly after Trump’s name was affixed to the building’s facade. Subsequently, the center threatened to sue Redd for his last-minute withdrawal, citing intolerance and seeking $1 million in damages. The lawsuit was later dismissed by the Washington judge due to the lack of a valid breach of contract claim.
A federal judge ruled in May that Trump’s name was unlawfully added to the Kennedy Center, stemming from conflicts that arose when Trump assumed control of the center by dismissing longtime chair David Rubinstein. Since then, several prominent figures in arts and culture have distanced themselves from the center or canceled appearances in response to the controversial renaming.
The letters spelling out Trump’s name have been removed from the Kennedy Center facade, as confirmed by the center in June. However, a tarp still covers the scaffolding, obscuring whether only the words “The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts” remain.
The Kennedy Center plans to appeal the recent decision, while Redd’s lawyers have expressed support for the judge’s ruling, labeling the lawsuit by the Trump-controlled center as baseless. The Kennedy Center, a renowned cultural institution in Washington, hosts over 2,000 events annually and serves as the official home of the National Symphony Orchestra and the Washington National Opera.