Trump-Kennedy center Sues Jazz Musician for $1 Million Over Concert Cancellation
A jazz musician faces a potential $1 million lawsuit after withdrawing from a Christmas Eve performance at the newly renamed Trump-Kennedy Center in protest of the venue’s association with the former president. The dispute highlights the ongoing cultural and political tensions surrounding the center’s recent rebranding.
The annual “Christmas Eve Jazz Jam” was canceled after drummer and vibraphone player Chuck Redd rescinded his commitment to host the holiday tradition,citing objections to the addition of President trump’s name to the iconic performing arts center.
According to a letter obtained by The Post, Trump-Kennedy Center President Richard Grenell informed Redd of the institution’s intent to pursue “damages” stemming from his decision to cancel for “partisan political reasons.” Grenell argued that Redd’s withdrawal was a demonstration of “classic intolerance” and financially detrimental to the non-profit institution.
“Your decision to withdraw at the last moment – explicitly in response to the Center’s recent renaming, which honors President Trump’s extraordinary efforts to save this national treasure – is classic intolerance and very costly to a non-profit arts institution,” Grenell wrote. He further accused redd of succumbing to “bullying tactics” employed by those opposed to the renaming.
Grenell also claimed that attendance at the Jazz Jam, which Redd had hosted for several years, had been “lagging considerably behind our other Christmas and holiday offerings.” He contrasted this with what he described as increased success under the new leadership. “The contrast between the public’s lack of interest in your show with the success we are experiencing under our new chairman is drastic,” a senior official stated.
The Trump-kennedy Center president asserted that Redd’s “dismal ticket sales and lack of donor support,” compounded by the late cancellation, had resulted in notable financial losses.”This is your official notice that we will seek $1 million in damages from you for this political stunt,” Grenell declared.
Redd has not yet publicly responded to the threat of legal action. He previously stated, in a statement to the Associated Press, that he canceled the concert “when I saw the name change on the Kennedy Center website and then hours later on the building.”
The board of trustees announced on December 18th that it had “unanimously” voted to add Trump’s name to the building, a decision that sparked immediate backlash from critics of the former president.
This is not an isolated incident. “Hamilton” creator Lin-Manuel Miranda and other artists previously announced thay would not stage productions or hold events at the venue in response to changes made to the center’s board of directors, including the appointment of Trump as chairman.
A spokesperson for the Trump-Kennedy Center dismissed the boycotts as “selfish” and “intolerant,” arguing that artists have a “duty” to perform for all audiences. “Any artist cancelling thier show at the Trump Kennedy Center over political differences isn’t brave or principled – they are selfish, intolerant, and have failed to meet the basic duty of a public artist: to perform for all people,” said Trump-Kennedy Center Vice President of Public Relations Roma Daravi.
She added that the center remains “a true bipartisan institution” and that “great art transcend
