More Artists Cancel Kennedy Center Shows Amid Trump Name Change, Venue's President Plans to Sue Chuck Redd
Kennedy Center President Richard Grenell is planning to sue jazz musician Chuck Redd after he pulled out of the Kennedy Center performance on December 24.
“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. Regrettably, your action surrenders to the sad bullying tactics employed by certain elements on the left, who have sought to intimidate artists into boycotting performances at our national cultural center,” Grenell wrote to Chuck (via ABC News). “Your dismal ticket sales and lack of donor support, combined with your last-minute cancellation has cost us considerably. This is your official notice that we will seek $1 million in damages from you for this political stunt.”
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Previously, Chuck said he canceled his performance after he saw Trump‘s name being added to the building.
“When I saw the name change on the Kennedy Center website and then hours later on the building, I chose to cancel our concert,” he told the AP.
Meanwhile, more and more acts are pulling out of the Kennedy Center.
The Cookers were supposed to perform on New Year’s Eve, and now they have canceled.
They said in a statement, in part, “Jazz was born from struggle and from a relentless insistence on freedom: freedom of thought, of expression, and of the full human voice. Some of us have been making this music for many decades, and that history still shapes us. We are not turning away from our audience, and do want to make sure that when we do return to the bandstand, the room is able to celebrate the full presence of the music and everyone in it. Our hope is that this moment will leave space for reflection, not resentment.”
Musician Kristy Lee also canceled her January 2026 show, writing, “I believe in the power of truth, and I believe in the power of people. And I’m gonna stand on that side forever. I won’t lie to you, canceling shows hurts. This is how I keep the lights on. But losing my integrity would cost me more than any paycheck.”