In brief
The Kennedy Center has issued a demand for $1 million in damages from musician Chuck Redd after he cancelled his Christmas Eve concert in protest of the venue's renaming to include Donald Trump’s name. The center's president described the cancellation as a ‘political stunt’ that has caused significant financial harm to the institution. This controversy comes in the wake of the White House's renaming initiative, which has drawn criticism from various lawmakers and artists.
The head of the Kennedy Center in Washington DC has demanded $1m (£740,000) in damages from a musician who cancelled a concert after President Donald Trump's name was added to the venue.
Chuck Redd called off his Christmas Eve performance, which he has hosted annually since 2006, citing a vote by the board to rename the site the Trump Kennedy Center.
In his letter, Richard Grenell, said the cancellation was a 'political stunt' and 'has cost us considerably'. Redd did not respond immediately to a request for comment.
Shortly after taking office, Trump fired several of the board members and replaced them with allies, who then voted to make Trump chairman of the board.
Grenell, the Trump Kennedy Center president, wrote that Redd's no-show 'is classic intolerance and very costly to a non-profit Arts institution.' He added that the cancellation impacted ticket sales and donor support.
The board's unanimous decision to rename the cultural institution as The Donald J Trump and John F Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts was announced recently, sparking widespread criticism.
Redd communicated his opposition to the name change, stating, 'When I saw the name change on the Kennedy Center website and then hours later on the building, I chose to cancel our concert.'
In addition, Congresswoman Joyce Beatty has filed a lawsuit seeking to remove Trump's name from the centre, contending that a name change requires an act of Congress due to the original 1964 naming law.
The Kennedy Center was established as a memorial to President John F. Kennedy following his assassination in 1963, and the current battle over its name reflects ongoing national political tensions.
