A superior court judge in Washington, D.C., has ordered the Kennedy Center to pay $252,479.70 in legal fees to jazz musician Chuck Redd. The ruling, issued Monday, follows the dismissal of a breach of contract lawsuit the center filed against Redd after he canceled his long-standing Christmas Eve performance last year. Redd, a vibraphonist and drummer, stated his cancellation was a protest against the addition of President Trump's name to the arts complex's facade.
The legal dispute began after Redd withdrew from the annual concert he had hosted for nearly 20 years. In response, the Kennedy Center sought $1 million in damages. However, Judge Tanya M. Jones Bosier dismissed the suit in June under the district's anti-SLAPP statute, a law designed to protect speech related to the public interest. The Kennedy Center has stated its intention to appeal the judge's order regarding the legal fees.
The incident occurred amid broader changes at the institution. In February 2025, President Trump replaced the center's leadership with his supporters and remains the chairman. While the president's name was removed from the facade in June following a separate federal court ruling, the center's future operations remain under judicial scrutiny. Most public programming and educational activities are currently suspended as the administration considers a two-year renovation plan.
Performers, staff, and patrons of the Kennedy Center will notice the continued suspension of most public programming and educational activities. The center's administration had proposed a two-year closure starting July 5 for renovations, a plan that would affect thousands of visitors and hundreds of scheduled events. However, this closure is currently being monitored by a Federal District Court, which has demanded updates on construction and public access. The outcome of these court reviews will determine when the center resumes its standard schedule of performances and how it manages its public facilities.
The ruling also sets a precedent for how the center’s leadership, currently composed of presidential appointees, interacts with artists who engage in political protest. While the Kennedy Center pursues an appeal, the board is scheduled to meet this month to vote on a definitive plan for the facility's future. The process remains under observation by lawmakers, including Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), who reported that the board had not yet received the necessary assessments to review prior to the upcoming vote. The exact dates for the board's decision and subsequent court updates have not been publicly confirmed.