Trump-Kennedy Center Files $1M Lawsuit Against Musician Who Cancelled Last Minute
A jazz musician who withdrew from hosting a Christmas Eve concert at the Trump–Kennedy Center is facing a potential $1 million lawsuit over what venue officials described as a politically motivated decision, according to the center’s leadership.
The annual Christmas Eve Jazz Jam was canceled after drummer and vibraphone player Chuck Redd announced he would no longer participate, citing objections to President Donald Trump’s name being added to the performing arts venue, the New York Post reported.
Richard Grenell, president of the Trump–Kennedy Center, said in a letter to Redd—obtained by The New York Post—that the institution intends to pursue damages related to the cancellation. In the letter, Grenell stated that Redd’s withdrawal constituted a breach of his hosting obligations and characterized the decision as being made for “partisan political reasons.”
“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.
“Regrettably, your action surrenders to the sad bullying tactics employed by certain elements on the left, who have sought to intimidate artists into boycotting performances at our national cultural center,” he added.
Grenell went on to say that attendance for the Jazz Jam, which Redd has hosted for a number of years, had been “lagging considerably behind our other Christmas and holiday offerings.”
“The contrast between the public’s lack of interest in your show with the success we are experiencing under our new chairman is drastic,” the Trump administration official added.
“The most avant-garde and well-regarded performers in your genre will still perform regularly, and unlike you, they’ll do it to sold out crowds regardless of their political leanings,” Grenell said, per The Post.
The Trump-Kennedy Center president noted further that Redd’s “dismal ticket sales and lack of donor support” combined with his last-minute cancellation “has cost us considerably.”
Grenell later posted on X that artists would not be allowed to cancel shows without repercussions.
“The left is boycotting the Arts because Trump is supporting the Arts,” Grenell wrote. “But we will not let them cancel shows without consequences. The Arts are for everyone — and the Left is mad about it.”
