Case Update: Court Dismisses Trump Kennedy Center’s Lawsuit Against Chuck Redd

Washington, D.C. — A Superior Court judge today dismissed a breach of contract lawsuit filed by the Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts against Chuck Redd, an acclaimed jazz drummer and vibraphonist.  The judge granted Mr. Redd’s special motion to dismiss brought pursuant to the District of Columbia’s Anti-SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation) Act, which empowers defendants to fend off baseless lawsuits brought to intimidate and silence opposing points of view on matters of public interest.

“The Trump Kennedy Center sued musician Chuck Redd for breach of contract after he chose not to perform at a free Christmas Eve concert – despite the fact that there was no contract, no damages, and no viable legal claim,” said Lisa J. Banks, counsel for Mr. Redd.  “The Center sued Mr. Redd because he publicly and rightly objected to adding Donald Trump’s name to the Kennedy Center, a living memorial to former President John F. Kennedy. The lawsuit against Mr. Redd was political retribution, pure and simple, by the Trump Kennedy Center, and the Court correctly saw it as such in dismissing the case with prejudice.”

The Kennedy Center filed suit against Mr. Redd following his decision not to perform at the Center’s annual “Christmas Eve Jazz Jam,” a free public concert, after the Kennedy Center’s board of trustees voted to rename the institution to add Donald J. Trump’s name.[i]

After Mr. Redd made a statement to an AP reporter explaining that he chose not to perform because of the name change of the Kennedy Center, Richard Grenell, the former President of the Center, sent Mr. Redd a scathing letter in which he provided “official notice that we will seek $1 million in damages from you for this political stunt.” Despite not having a signed contract nor incurring any costs from the cancellation, the Trump Kennedy Center filed suit against Mr. Redd on March 6, 2026.

Mr. Redd’s attorneys filed the Special Motion to Dismiss on his behalf on March 27, 2026. Per the Anti-SLAPP law, Mr. Redd is entitled to attorneys’ fees and costs.

Debra S. Katz, Lisa J. Banks, Susanna Barron, and Jesse Broad-Cavanagh, attorneys at Katz Banks Kumin LLP, represent Mr. Redd in this matter.

PRESS AVAILABILITY: Ms. Banks is available for comment on this ruling, including radio and on-camera opportunities. Please reach out to Alex Bradley at bradley@katzbanks.com or 202-552-5361

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The attorneys of Katz Banks Kumin LLP are nationally recognized leaders in civil rights, employment, and whistleblower law. The firm handles cases nationwide with offices in Washington, D.C., New York, Philadelphia, and San Francisco. https://katzbanks.com

[i] The decision to rename the institution to the “Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts” was recently found to violate the law and the Kennedy Center was ordered to reverse the usage of signage and branding with that name.