Kennedy Center seeking $1 million in damages for cancelled concert due to Donald Trump name change
The president of the Kennedy Center is seeking $1 million in damages from a performer who cancelled a Christmas concert at the last minute in protest of the recent name change shepherded by Donald Trump.
On December 18th, a White House correspondent shared that board members, whom Trump selected himself, agreed that the cultural institution would be renamed the Trump-Kennedy Center.
In protest of the latest development to come from the Trump administration, Chuck Redd pulled the plug on this year’s performance of the Kennedy Center’s “Jazz Jams” Christmas concert. Redd has led the show since 2006.
Speaking to The Associated Press, Redd shared of the decision, “When I saw the name change on the Kennedy Center website and then hours later on the building, I chose to cancel our concert.”
In response, Kennedy Center president Rick Grenell has shared that he plans to seek $1m in damages from Redd over what he called “this political stunt.”
In a letter addressed to Redd, he wrote, “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.”
Trump slipped the Kennedy Center Honors in his first time; in his second, he hosted the honors himself. Following that, lettering appeared on the side of the site which read: “THE DONALD J. TRUMP AND THE JOHN F. KENNEDY MEMORIAL CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS.”
At the time of the change, the President of the USA wrote on Truth Social: “NO MORE DRAG SHOWS, OR OTHER ANTI-AMERICAN PROPAGANDA – ONLY THE BEST.”
The surprise rename in turn prompted a lawsuit from Representative Joyce Beatty, Democrat of Ohio, who asserting that an act of Congress is required to change the name.
Chuck Redd is yet to officially comment on the new development.
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