Kennedy Center Ordered to Pay Musician $250,000 Over Canceled Concert

The Kennedy Center was ordered by a D.C. Superior Court Judge to pay jazz musician Chuck Redd a sum exceeding $250,000 in legal fees and costs. The order came after the center sued Redd over his cancellation of a performance and opposition to President Donald Trump’s name being added to the arts institution. Redd had initially been scheduled to perform at the Kennedy Center’s free Christmas Eve "Jazz Jam" but withdrew his participation after the center’s board voted in December to include Trump’s name in the building and branding.

In a statement to The Associated Press, Redd explained his decision to step away from the performance. The Kennedy Center had originally threatened Redd with a lawsuit worth $1 million, accusing him of staging a political protest. However, Judge Tanya Jones Bosier dismissed the lawsuit in June, citing that Redd had never entered into a contract for the performance and siding with him under Washington, D.C.’s Anti-SLAPP Act, which safeguards speech on matters of public interest from lawsuits meant to silence or intimidate critics.

Bosier noted that several artists had cancelled their shows following the Trump name change, but Redd was the only one who openly explained his reason for doing so and then faced legal action. The Kennedy Center contested the amount of Redd's legal fees, describing it as "nothing short of astonishing" and arguing that it was out of proportion with the complexity of the case.

The Kennedy Center did not immediately provide a comment on the matter to TheWrap when asked for a response.