Kennedy Center head threatens lawsuit after musician cancels show over Trump renaming

The president of the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts has sharply condemned a musician’s last-minute decision to cancel a Christmas Eve concert, framing the move as a political provocation tied directly to the venue’s controversial renaming to include President Donald Trump.

In a letter shared with The Associated Press, Kennedy Center president Richard Grenell accused jazz musician Chuck Redd of intolerance and warned of financial consequences.

“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.

He added that he would seek $1m in damages “for this political stunt”.

Redd, a drummer and vibraphone player, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday. However, in an email to the AP earlier this week, he confirmed that the renaming prompted his decision to cancel.

“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.

Redd has led the Kennedy Center’s Christmas Eve “Jazz Jam” since 2006, taking over from bassist William “Keter” Betts. He described the event as a long-running and popular holiday tradition, often featuring student musicians.

“One of the many reasons that it was very sad to have had to cancel,” he told the AP.

The dispute comes days after a Trump-appointed board voted to add Trump’s name to the Kennedy Center, a move announced by the White House and immediately criticised by legal scholars and members of the Kennedy family. The centre was designated by Congress in 1964 as a “living memorial” to President John F Kennedy, who was assassinated the year before.

Critics argue the renaming violates federal law, which explicitly bars the board from turning the building into a memorial for anyone else or adding another individual’s name to the exterior without congressional approval.

Grenell, a close Trump ally, was appointed to lead the Kennedy Center after the previous leadership was removed. Kennedy’s niece, Kerry Kennedy, has vowed to remove Trump’s name once he leaves office, while former House historian Ray Smock has said any such change would require an act of Congress.