Grenell to seek $1M after musician canceled show at Kennedy Center over name change
Richard Grenell, head of the Kennedy Center, is seeking $1 million in damages from jazz musician Chuck Redd after Redd declined too perform when the center’s name was changed to honor former president Trump. Grenell called Redd’s last‑minute withdrawal “classic intolerance” and said it was costly to the nonprofit; his letter was shared with the Associated Press. Redd, who had performed at the center annually as 2006, said he canceled after seeing the new name on the center’s website and building. The renaming followed a unanimous vote by the Trump‑appointed board and is being legally challenged by Rep.Joyce Beatty, who argues federal law designates the venue as a memorial to John F. Kennedy. The center’s vice president of public relations responded that art should unite rather than exclude and described the “Trump Kennedy Center” as bipartisan and welcoming to all.
Grenell to seek $1 million in damages after musician canceled performance over Kennedy Center name change
Kennedy Center head Richard Grenell will seek $1 million in damages against musician Chuck Redd after he declined to perform at the center following its name change.
Grenell said Redd’s response to the Trump-Kennedy Center’s name change is “classic intolerance.”
“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 in a letter to Redd that was shared with the Associated Press.
Redd had performed at the Kennedy Center annually since 2006, but said he canceled his concert over the name change.
“When I saw the name change on the Kennedy Center website and then hours later on the building, I chose to cancel our concert,” Redd said.
The Kennedy Center was renamed earlier this month after a unanimous vote by its Trump-appointed board. The center’s new name is on both its website and the building itself, but it’s unclear if the change is legal.
Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-OH), an ex officio board member at the center, filed a lawsuit on Dec. 22 challenging the move, arguing the board does not have the legal authority to change the center’s name. Federal law designated the center’s name as a memorial to former President John F. Kennedy.
Trump chose Grenell to lead the Kennedy Center after he had ousted most of the previous board of trustees.
HOLIDAY SOUR NOTE: KENNEDY CENTER JAZZ PERFORMANCE CANCELED DUE TO TRUMP RENAMING FIGHT
Roma Daravi, vice president of public relations at the Kennedy Center, related to much of Grenell’s sentiment in comments to CNN.
“Art is a shared cultural experience meant to unite, not exclude,” Daravi said. “The Trump Kennedy Center is a true bipartisan institution that welcomes artists and patrons from all backgrounds — great art transcends politics, and America’s cultural center remains committed to presenting popular programming that inspires and resonates with all audiences.”
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