A judge in Washington has ruled that the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts must compensate jazz musician 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, Chuck Redd, a prominent American drummer and vibraphonist also known as Charles, withdrew from his longstanding role as host of the center’s annual free Christmas Eve concert in protest of the controversial decision to add Donald Trump’s name to the building’s facade. Redd’s lawyer, Lisa J. Banks, stated that the lawsuits filed by the Trump Administration were baseless and politically motivated.
Redd, who had been a regular host and performer at the center’s Christmas Eve concerts, canceled his appearance last year shortly after Trump’s name was displayed on the building. The Kennedy Center threatened to sue Redd for his last-minute withdrawal, claiming it was costly and intolerant to the institution. However, the lawsuit was later dismissed by the Washington judge due to the center’s failure to present a valid breach of contract claim.
A federal judge ruled in May that Trump’s name had been unlawfully added to the Kennedy Center, sparking a conflict that began when Trump took control of the institution by dismissing long-time chair David Rubinstein in February. Since then, various figures in the arts and culture world have distanced themselves from the center or canceled their engagements.
The Kennedy Center has confirmed that the letters spelling out Trump’s name have been removed from the facade, although a tarp still covers the scaffolding, obscuring the final wording. The center plans to appeal the decision while Redd’s lawyers support the judge’s ruling, stating that the lawsuit against Redd was an attempt to stifle opposition to the unauthorized name change.
The Kennedy Center, which hosts over 2,000 events annually and is home to the National Symphony Orchestra and the Washington National Opera, remains a prominent cultural institution in Washington, D.C.