Kennedy Center lawsuit against jazz musician Chuck Redd dismissed

A Washington, D.C. Superior Court judge dismissed the breach‑of‑contract lawsuit filed by the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts against jazz drummer and vibraphone player Chuck Redd. Redd had cancelled the venue’s annual Christmas Eve “Jazz Jam” after the Center’s board voted to add President Donald Trump’s name to the building. The court ruled the case was a merit‑less SLAPP suit and threw it out with prejudice, noting that the Center failed to produce a signed performance agreement.

Attorney Lisa J. Banks said the lawsuit was “political retribution, pure and simple, by the Trump Kennedy Center,” and Redd told the Associated Press he was “very pleased with the judge’s ruling.” The dismissal follows a prior federal order that the Center could not rename the facility without congressional approval, prompting the removal of Trump’s name from signage and the website.