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Writer and producer Shonda Rhimes has resigned from the board of the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts amid President Donald Trump's takeover.
“Please be advised that as of today, Shonda Rhimes has resigned from the board of the Kennedy Center,” a spokesperson for Rhimes told Deadline.
The Kennedy Center aims to memorialize the late president and hosts roughly 2,000 performances and 2 million visitors yearly.
News of Rhimes' resignation came after Trump was elected as chairman of the board on Wednesday (February 12). Trump, who has the power to appoint individuals to the board for six-year terms, fired 18 Biden-appointed board members, including now-former chairman David Rubenstein and former president Deborah F. Rutter.
“It is a Great Honor to be Chairman of The Kennedy Center, especially with this amazing Board of Trustees. We will make The Kennedy Center a very special and exciting place!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
Artistic advisor at the National Symphony Orchestra, Ben Folds, and the Kennedy Center’s artistic advisor at large, Renée Fleming, also resigned amid Trump's overhaul.
Trump previously pledged to prohibit drag shows from being hosted at the Kennedy Center, which he described as "an American Jewel."
“Just last year, the Kennedy Center featured Drag Shows specifically targeting our youth — THIS WILL STOP,” Trump said on Truth Social last week. “The Kennedy Center is an American Jewel, and must reflect the brightest STARS on its stage from all across our Nation. For the Kennedy Center, THE BEST IS YET TO COME!”
The president's new board includes second lady Usha Vance, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and White House Presidential Personnel Office Director Sergio Gor.
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