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The president of the Kennedy Center on Friday sharply criticized longtime jazz musician Chuck Redd for canceling his Christmas Eve performance days after the White House announced that President Donald Trump’s name would be added to the iconic performing arts institution in Washington, D.C.
Kennedy Center president Richard Grenell said Redd’s decision financially harmed the nonprofit institution, and he would seek $1 million in damages, accusing him of carrying out a “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 and very costly to a non-profit Arts institution,” Grenell wrote in a letter to Redd, obtained by Fox News Digital.
Fox News Digital could not immediately reach Redd for comment.
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Redd, who has hosted holiday Jazz Jams at the venue since 2006, abruptly canceled his Christmas Eve performance after Trump’s name was added to the facility.
“When I saw the name change on the Kennedy Center website and then hours later on the building, I chose to cancel our concert,” Redd told The Associated Press on Wednesday.
On Dec. 18, the Kennedy Center’s board voted unanimously to rename the institution the “Trump-Kennedy Center.”
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The update was immediately criticized by members of the Kennedy family who argued it undermined the legacy of President John F. Kennedy.
Maria Shriver, Kennedy’s niece, reacted harshly to the decision, saying it was “beyond comprehension.”
Several artists have canceled performances at the Kennedy Center since Trump’s return to office, including Lin-Manuel Miranda, who called off a production of “Hamilton.”
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Kennedy Center vice president of public relations Roma Daravi told Fox News Digital Friday that Redd was politicizing art by calling off his performance.
“Any artist canceling their show at the Trump Kennedy Center over political differences isn’t courageous or principled—they are selfish, intolerant, and have failed to meet the basic duty of a public artist: to perform for all people,” she said in a statement.
Daravi stated that art is “a shared cultural experience meant to unite, not exclude,” calling the venue “a true bipartisan institution that welcomes artists and patrons from all backgrounds.”
She added that “great art transcends politics,” and that “America’s cultural center remains committed to presenting popular programming that inspires and resonates with all audiences.”
Last week, workers added President Trump’s name to the building’s exterior, and the website header was updated to read, “The Trump Kennedy Center.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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