A D.C. Superior Court judge ordered the Kennedy Center to pay $252,479.70 in legal fees to jazz drummer Chuck Redd, according to The Washington Post.
On Monday, Associate Judge Tanya Jones Bosier of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia dismissed the center’s lawsuit against President Donald Trump under the District’s anti-SLAPP statute, protecting free speech.
Redd canceled the annual Christmas Eve Jazz Jam, which he has led since 2006, according to The Associated Press, after the center’s board voted December 18, 2025, to add Trump’s name 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,” Redd said.
In response, Former Kennedy Center President Richard Grenell threatened $1 million in damages and accused Redd of “classic intolerance,” NPR reported.
The center offered to drop the suit if Redd paid $7,500, agreed to perform, and remained silent about his cancellation, according to Fox 13.
Redd refused and fought back.
Judge Tanya Jones Bosier found no valid contract and no provable damages. She noted, while multiple artists canceled performances, Redd was the only person who spoke out and was consequently sued by the administration.
Trump’s name has since been removed from the building under a separate federal court order, the BBC reported in June.
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