A District of Columbia judge has ordered the Kennedy Center to pay jazz musician Chuck Redd $252,000 in legal fees after the arts organisation's lawsuit against him was thrown out. Redd, a longtime host and performer at the Kennedy Center's annual Christmas Eve concerts, pulled out of last December's show in protest at the venue's temporary rebranding to include Donald Trump's name, calling the change "defiant and illegal." The Kennedy Center, now under the control of Trump allies, then sued him for breach of contract and threatened to seek $1 million in damages.

D.C. Superior Court Judge Tanya Jones Bosier dismissed the case in June, finding no valid contract existed since Redd had never signed the 2025 agreement to perform for a $6,500 fee. The Washington Post reported the Center had secretly offered to drop the suit if Redd paid it $7,500 and agreed to perform again on Christmas Eve 2026 without discussing his reasons for withdrawing. Despite the Center's argument that the fee award was disproportionate, the judge ruled the $252,000 reasonable given the legal work involved. The Kennedy Center's exterior remains covered by a tarp following a separate court order to remove Trump's name, and a judge has demanded an explanation for the delay.