Overview
- Richard Grenell notified Chuck Redd that the center will pursue $1 million in damages, calling the last-minute cancellation a political stunt that harmed a nonprofit institution.
- Redd said he canceled only after seeing the new name appear on the Kennedy Center’s website and then on the building; he has led the Christmas Eve Jazz Jam since 2006.
- The White House announced on Dec. 18 that the board voted unanimously to adopt the new name, and the center quickly updated its logo and exterior signage.
- Scholars and historians have questioned the move’s legality, noting the law establishing the Kennedy Center as a memorial to John F. Kennedy may require congressional approval for a name change.
- Other performers, including Issa Rae and Lin-Manuel Miranda, have withdrawn appearances this year, and a Kennedy Center spokesperson criticized artists who cancel over political differences.