Jazz drummer and vibes player Chuck Redd has successfully resisted a breach of contract lawsuit brought against him after he canceled a Christmas Eve performance at the Kennedy Center following the White House announcement that Donald Trump's name would be added to the facility. Redd's lawyers confirmed that the suit had been dismissed by a judge, and the musician told the Associated Press he was "very pleased" by the ruling.
Background of the Case
The controversy began when the Kennedy Center, officially a living memorial to President John F. Kennedy, was temporarily renamed the Trump-Kennedy Center. In response, Redd withdrew from the annual free "Christmas Eve Jazz Jam" performance. Richard Grenell, then the center's president, threatened to sue Redd for $1 million in damages, calling the cancellation a "political stunt."
The center filed suit in March, offering to settle if Redd paid $7,500, performed at the 2025 concert, and refrained from political commentary about his withdrawal. Redd refused, and the case proceeded.
Court Ruling
On Friday, DC Superior Court Judge Tanya Jones Bosier ruled that Kennedy Center officials failed to prove a legally binding agreement existed. "I could not find a valid breach-of-contract claim here," she said, noting that Redd had not signed the 2025 agreement. The judge granted Redd's motion to dismiss under the District of Columbia's anti-SLAPP law, designed to prevent lawsuits aimed at silencing public participation.
Lisa J Banks, one of Redd's lawyers, stated: "The Center sued Mr. Redd because he publicly and rightly objected to adding Donald Trump's name to the Kennedy Center. The lawsuit was political retribution, pure and simple, and the Court correctly saw it as such."
Related Developments
Last week, another judge ordered the removal of Trump's name from the facade and website of the center, ruling that the venue cannot be renamed without an act of Congress. The Kennedy Center, designated as a living memorial to President Kennedy, remains a focal point of political and legal disputes.
Redd's legal victory underscores the protection of free speech rights under anti-SLAPP laws, which shield individuals from lawsuits intended to intimidate or silence critics.
