The Kennedy Center Sued Jazz Musician Chuck Redd for Canceling a Gig Over Trump’s Name Change. Now a Judge Says It Owes Him $252,479
by Jerome London · Thought CatalogUpdated 54 minutes ago, August 14, 2026
A jazz musician’s refusal to perform at a rebranded Kennedy Center has ended with the institution on the hook for a hefty legal bill.
Chuck Redd walked away from a free Christmas Eve gig because he wouldn’t play a Kennedy Center with Donald Trump’s name on it. The Center sued him for it and lost.
Now the bill for its own lawsuit is landing on its desk. A judge says the Kennedy Center owes Redd $252,479.
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