A judge in Washington has ruled that the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts must compensate jazz artist 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 the same judge, Tanya Jones Bosier of the District of Columbia Superior Court.
In 2025, Redd, an American drummer and vibraphonist legally known as Charles, withdrew from his long-standing role as the host of the center’s annual free Christmas Eve concert in protest of the addition of Donald Trump’s name to the building’s portico. Redd’s attorney, Lisa J. Banks, stated to CBC News that the lawsuits initiated by the Trump Administration were baseless and politically motivated.
Charles Redd, who has been a fixture at the center’s Christmas Eve concerts for years, pulled out of the event last year shortly after Trump’s name was affixed to the building’s exterior. The Kennedy Center threatened to sue Redd for withdrawing at the last minute, citing intolerance and seeking $1 million in damages. However, the lawsuit was later dismissed by the Washington judge due to a lack of a valid breach of contract claim.
A federal judge ruled in May that the addition of Trump’s name to the Kennedy Center was unlawful, stemming from a conflict that began when Trump assumed control of the center by dismissing former chair David Rubinstein in February. Since then, various figures in arts and culture, including Canadian author Louise Penny and TV producers Shonda Rhimes and Issa Rae, have distanced themselves from the center or canceled appearances.
The Kennedy Center confirmed in June that the letters spelling out Trump’s name on the facade had been removed. The center plans to appeal the judge’s decision, while Redd’s legal team praised the ruling as appropriate. The institution hosts over 2,000 events annually and is home to the National Symphony Orchestra and the Washington National Opera.