Judge dismisses Kennedy Center suit against musician who canceled

Lawyer for Chuck Redd, who pulled out after Trump renamed center, called case ‘political retribution’ Jazz drummer and vibes player Chuck Redd has successfully resisted a breach of contract lawsuit brought against him after he canceled a Christmas Eve performance at the Kennedy Center after the White House announced that Donald Trump’s name would be added to the facility. Redd’s lawyers confirmed that the suit had been dismissed by a judge, and the musician told the Associated Press he was “very pleased” by the ruling. Last week, another judge ordered the removal of Trump’s name from the facade and website of the center, ruling that the performing arts venue, designated as a living memorial to the late president by Congress, cannot be renamed without an act of Congress. Richard Grenell, then the Kennedy Center’s president, threatened to sue Redd soon after he pulled the plug on the gig, saying the center would seek $1m in damages for what he termed “this political stunt”. “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