Full Breakdown
Judge Dismisses Kennedy Center Lawsuit Against Jazz Musician Chuck Redd
6/7/2026, 2:50:10 AM
Background & Context
In May 2026 the Kennedy Center’s Trump-appointed board voted to rename the venue “The Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.” A federal judge later ruled the board lacked authority to rename a congressional memorial, ordering removal of Trump’s name from signage by June 12.
Core Event
Jazz drummer Chuck Redd, host of the Kennedy Center’s annual “Christmas Eve Jazz Jam” since 2006, cancelled the 2025 show in protest of the renaming. The Center sued for breach of contract, seeking $1 million and offering $7,500 if he performed without commentary. D.C. Superior Court Judge Tanya Jones Bosier dismissed the case under the anti-SLAPP statute, noting Redd never signed the 2025 agreement and that the free concert generated no ticket revenue or staff costs.
Key Figures
Chuck Redd – jazz drummer and host of the Kennedy Center’s holiday Jazz Jam; Lisa J. Banks – his attorney; Richard Grenell – then-president of the Center; Judge Tanya Jones Bosier – D.C. Superior Court judge.
Official Statements & Responses
Attorney Lisa J. Banks called the suit “political retribution” for Redd’s objection to adding Trump’s name. Redd said he was “very pleased” with the dismissal. The Center’s counsel memo, issued after May 29 federal ruling, ordered removal of Trump’s name from all signage and digital assets. The Kennedy Center has not commented on the anti-SLAPP dismissal.
Criticism & Opposition
Redd’s supporters say the suit aims to silence dissent over the renaming; the Kennedy Center argued the cancellation caused “lost goodwill, wasted marketing expenses, and sunk costs,” justifying its action.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
The Kennedy Center has not publicly responded to the dismissal, leaving its stance on the anti-SLAPP ruling unclear, and no independent verification of the claimed marketing losses is available.
Verbatim Quotes
- “The Center sued Mr. Redd because he publicly and rightly objected to adding Donald Trump’s name to the Kennedy Center, a living memorial to former President John F. Kennedy. The lawsuit against Mr. Redd was political retribution, pure and simple, by the Trump Kennedy Center, and the Court correctly saw it as such in dismissing the case with prejudice.” — Lisa J. Banks, attorney
- “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,” — Richard Grenell, Kennedy Center president
- “There’s no dispute that he did not sign the 2025 agreement.” — Judge Tanya Jones Bosier
- “When I saw the name change on the Kennedy Center website and then hours later on the building, I chose to cancel our concert.” — Chuck Redd, email to AP
What’s Next
The Kennedy Center plans to appeal the federal decision that only Congress can rename the venue, and the dispute may shape future anti-SLAPP applications to arts institutions.
