A Washington, D.C. superior court judge has ruled that the Kennedy Center must pay more than $250,000 to jazz musician Chuck Redd. Redd, a vibraphonist and drummer, canceled his annual Christmas Eve performance last December after President Trump’s name was added to the arts center’s facade. He had hosted this event for nearly 20 years.
Following Redd’s decision, the Kennedy Center threatened to sue him for $1 million in damages. However, in June, Judge Tanya M. Jones Bosier dismissed the breach of contract case against Redd. She ruled in favor of Redd under the district’s anti-SLAPP statute, which protects public interest speech. Her recent ruling requires the Kennedy Center to pay Redd $252,479.70 for legal fees and related costs.
The Kennedy Center has announced plans to appeal the decision. Lisa J. Banks, one of Redd’s attorneys, commented that the ruling was appropriate. She criticized the lawsuit as baseless and politically motivated.
In June, a federal court ordered the removal of President Trump’s name from the arts complex’s facade. Trump remains as the chairman of the Kennedy Center despite having replaced its previous leadership with his close allies in 2025. Uncertainty looms over the center’s future, with most of its programming and educational activities still suspended.
Trump announced plans to shut the complex for two years starting July 5 for extensive renovations. However, the Federal District Court in Washington has requested an update on these plans from the center’s administration. Judge Christopher R. Cooper has allowed the board time to deliberate and decide on future plans.
The Kennedy Center board is expected to convene this month to vote on a proposed path forward. Yet, Democratic board members, including Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), have reportedly not received any recent updates to review. NPR attempted to contact Sen. Whitehouse’s office for a comment, but no response has been received yet.