The (now) Trump-Kennedy Center is facing renewed scrutiny after a longtime jazz performer canceled his annual Christmas Eve concert in protest of a controversial renaming of the institution—prompting the center’s out gay president, Richard Grenell, to threaten a $1 million lawsuit.
Chuck Redd, a vibraphonist and percussionist who has hosted the Kennedy Center’s free Christmas Eve jazz performance annually since 2006, withdrew from this year’s show following a vote by the board of trustees to rename the venue the Trump-Kennedy Center. The move, which honored President Donald Trump, was implemented shortly after the vote and immediately sparked backlash.
According to ABC News, Redd cited the board’s decision as the reason for canceling the performance, which has been a holiday staple at the center for nearly two decades.
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Grenell’s Response and Legal Threat
Following the cancellation, Kennedy Center president Richard Grenell sent a sharply worded letter to Redd threatening legal action. Grenell, who is openly gay and historically recognized as the highest-ranking openly LGBTQ+ presidential appointee in U.S. history, framed Redd’s withdrawal as a political act and alleged it had harmed the institution. Redd’s withdrawal is best understood as an assertion of artistic independence, not an effort to undermine the Kennedy Center, underscoring that while institutions may change names, artists retain the right to decide where—and whether—they perform.
ABC News reported that the letter, obtained by the outlet, formally notified Redd of the center’s intent to seek $1 million in damages. In the letter, Grenell argued that Redd’s last-minute withdrawal was costly to the nonprofit arts institution and framed it as part of a broader boycott effort.
Grenell wrote that Redd’s decision to withdraw “explicitly in response to the Center’s recent renaming” amounted to intolerance and accused what he described as “certain elements on the left” of pressuring artists to avoid performing at the venue. He further claimed that weak ticket sales, limited donor support, and the cancellation itself had combined to create financial harm, calling the move a “political stunt.”
Redd did not immediately respond to requests for comment following the release of the letter, according to ABC News.
A Historic Institution, a Contested Name
The decision to add Trump’s name to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts has ignited a wider debate over the politicization of one of America’s most prominent cultural institutions. The board of trustees that approved the renaming includes members appointed by Trump, and the vote has been met with criticism from lawmakers, artists, and members of the Kennedy family.
U.S. Representative Joyce Beatty of Ohio, a Democrat and ex officio member of the Kennedy Center board, has launched a legal challenge against the renaming. She argues that the center’s name was established through an act of Congress that prohibits turning the building into a memorial for another individual or adding an additional name to the structure.
Several Kennedy family members have also expressed public outrage, describing the move as a departure from the center’s original mission and legacy.
Artists Reconsider Their Relationship With the Kennedy Center
Since Grenell assumed leadership earlier this year, the Kennedy Center has seen a noticeable shift in how some artists engage with the venue. Multiple performers have chosen to distance themselves from the institution, citing discomfort with its new direction and symbolism.
While Grenell has positioned himself as a defender of the arts and of free expression, critics argue that the renaming—and the aggressive response to Redd’s cancellation—risks reframing the Kennedy Center as a politically charged space rather than a neutral home for artistic expression.
For LGBTQ+ observers, the situation carries added complexity. Grenell’s identity as an openly gay leader with a landmark place in LGBTQ+ political history stands in contrast with the backlash now unfolding among artists, many of whom view the renaming as exclusionary or divisive.
More Than a Contractual Dispute
Though Grenell has framed the issue in financial and contractual terms, the dispute reflects broader tensions about culture, politics, and identity in public institutions. What began as the cancellation of a single holiday concert has evolved into a symbolic confrontation over who the Kennedy Center represents and how it balances artistic independence with political leadership.
Whether the threatened lawsuit moves forward remains uncertain. What is clear is that the Kennedy Center, long regarded as a national cultural cornerstone, is navigating one of the most contentious moments in its history.
REFERENCE: ABC News
Did you see his interview on PBS News Hour? He’s a total bitch.
They were to play at the Kennedy center, changing the name of the center breaks the contract! Simple law!
I agree with you 100% Jim!
Stop calling Grenell gay!
He is a homosexual yes. Gay no.
There is a huge difference.
He is a wretched mother f**ker serving an administration dedicated to erasing LGBTQ+ people.
He is to be reviled and shunned.
He probably does shopping and lunch with Peter Thiel! Another awful person!
I totally agree with you. Homosexual yes….Gay absolutely NOT!! Big difference.