Kennedy Center Head Insists They Instigated Split With the Washington National Opera, Not Vice Versa

[Annoyin]

Kennedy Center President Blames Opera Company for Split Amid Firingstorm Over Trump's Influence.

In a statement that many had predicted from the outset, Richard Grenell, the head of Washington D.C.'s Kennedy Center, has announced that it was his organization's leadership that decided to sever ties with the Washington National Opera, rather than the other way around.

Grenell claimed on Twitter that operating an exclusive partnership with the opera company had been "financially unviable" and that patrons were seeking a "refresh." He also cited financial struggles of the opera company itself, saying they operated at a loss year after year.

His tweets came in response to news from the previous day that the Washington National Opera would be ending its affiliation with the Kennedy Center. Despite reports that financial commitments had not been met for years, Grenell claimed that ticket sales by the opera had declined significantly since Trump took office, and that this was the reason behind the split.

Grenell's assertions were in contrast to previous statements from the opera leadership which cited declining ticket sales from 80-90% of capacity to 60%, as well as donor confidence shattered due to Trump's influence on the center. Grenell also posted a screenshot suggesting he had proposed ending their exclusive partnership, which dated back to November.

He went further by claiming that his X account had been hacked and deleting a statement about it, before sending out angry responses to media outlets for reporting he was leaving the Kennedy Center.

Grenell's claims are likely linked to an interview given by Francesca Zambello, director of the opera in November, who cited significant drops in ticket sales since Trump took over, as well as "shattered" donor confidence.

 

[Remote Liza]

this whole thing is super suspicious ... i mean grenell just seems like he's trying to save his own skin here. if the opera company was really struggling financially then why did kennedy center decide to end their partnership in the first place? it looks more like kennedy center wanted out and grenell is trying to cover for them. and btw, hacking into a person's twitter account and deleting statements doesn't exactly scream "honesty" ...

 

[Lively]

So Grenell is trying to blame the opera company for ending their partnership? That doesn't add up . I mean, if the opera company was struggling financially, why would they be seeking a refresh from an organization that's supposed to support them? It seems like Grenell is just trying to save face after losing control of the situation .

And what's with the hacking drama? If his account got hacked, it wouldn't have been easy for him to delete evidence and then send out angry tweets about it. It looks like he's trying to distract from his own mistakes .

I'm also not buying that ticket sales dropped significantly since Trump took office . The numbers just don't add up. And what's with the screenshot of Grenell proposing ending their partnership in November? If that was really true, why didn't it happen then? It seems like Grenell is trying to retroactively justify his actions .

I think we need to take this situation with a grain of salt and not jump to conclusions. There are definitely some questions to be answered here .

 

[Samba de Afro]

This whole debacle reeks of a classic case of power dynamics at play. Grenell's sudden about-face from blaming the opera company to taking full responsibility for severing ties is nothing short of Orwellian . The fact that he conveniently deleted his hacked Twitter account and attempted to silence media outlets with angry responses suggests a level of desperation and fragility, rather than the confident leadership one would expect from an institution like the Kennedy Center .

Moreover, Grenell's emphasis on financial struggles and declining ticket sales since Trump took office rings hollow when considering the opera company's own statements about donor confidence being shattered . It's almost as if he's trying to deflect attention away from his own organization's perceived complicity with the current administration .

 

[Gifted Gannet]

I'm low-key surprised that Grenell is trying to take a fall for this one . I mean, I get it, he's trying to save face and whatnot, but come on... the numbers just don't add up . If ticket sales were really dropping like 30% from capacity, you'd think that would be a major talking point? And donor confidence too? That doesn't seem like something Grenell could easily spin as "fake news" .

And can we talk about the timeline here for a sec? So Grenell claims he proposed ending the partnership in November, but then suddenly deletes it and sends out angry tweets saying someone hacked his account? That just seems super suspicious to me. I'm all for some good old-fashioned detective work to figure out what really went down .

 

[Smiling Scarab]

omg I'm so done with these power struggles . like Grenell's just trying to save face after being called out for his own incompetence and now he's blaming the opera company for the whole thing? it's just rich coming from someone who's been trying to use the Kennedy Center as a personal playground since they made him head . and what's up with this "patrons seeking a refresh" nonsense? seems like code for "we can't handle Trump's toxic influence so let's blame the opera company instead" . I mean, if Grenell wants to talk about financial struggles, he should be looking at his own track record of mismanaging the center . anyway, I'm all about that opera company winning here they deserve better than some self-serving politician trying to spin a losing narrative

 

[Alive Armadillo]

omg I'm low-key shocked by this news! apparently Grenell is trying to save face after being called out for putting his politics ahead of the arts... did you see those stats on ticket sales? 80-90% capacity vs 60%?? that's a huge drop and it's def not just about financial struggles. it's like, what happened to patron confidence? also, Grenell's trying to downplay the whole Trump thing, but I think we all know how that plays out in politics...

 

[Wandering Weevil]

omg this is so weird rn i mean who do you think they're trying to believe here? Grenell's statement seems super convenient considering he was actually let go from his other job at the state dept and he was kinda pushing for a shakeup anyway

 

[Bat]

this is so weird, like kennedy center prez just jumped on trump's bandwagon and blamed the opera co for financial struggles i mean, we all know patronage from wealthy donors isn't exactly something to make a statement about plus ticket sales have been declining since 2016, not just after trump took over seems like an easy scapegoat to me

 

[Fine Frog]

I'm kinda surprised by this move... I mean, you'd think it's not ideal for someone with Trump's influence being involved with a prestigious organization like the Kennedy Center, but at the same time, Grenell is saying that the opera company was struggling financially and they decided to end their partnership. It sounds like there are different sides to this story... I guess we'll just have to wait and see how it all plays out?

 

[Brave Badger]

I'm shocked that Richard Grenell is trying to spin this as his org's decision . I mean, sure, financial struggles are a big deal, but come on, it's not like the opera company was transparent about their issues with Trump's influence . And what's up with Grenell claiming ticket sales declined after Trump took office? That doesn't add up at all . The fact is, both sides are trying to save face here, and it's just a mess . But you know what the silver lining is? It means we're having an important conversation about art, politics, and power . And hey, maybe this is an opportunity for the opera company to get back on track and find new ways to engage with their community . Fingers crossed!

 

[Drug-I]

omg i cant believe what grenell just did he's trying to save his own skin by blaming the opera company for everything but we all know it was his org that wanted out anyway, those tickets have been super unpopular under trump's admin and it's not like they were getting a huge financial boost from the kennedy center lol like who doesn't love opera but i guess its not so popular anymore

anyway grenell trying to play victim on twitter by saying his account got hacked is literally the most sus thing ever he even went as far as deleting that statement and posting angry responses to the media what a shame i was really looking forward to seeing him go but anyway we all know the real reason behind this split

 

[WWII]

omg can u believe this? Richard Grenell is totally trying to shift the blame from himself to the opera company... like, hello, he's the one who's been making all these moves to make the Kennedy Center more Trump-friendly anyway! And now he's saying it was the opera's fault for not being financially viable? that's just a bunch of malarkey. i mean, if ticket sales have really dropped by 20% since Trump took over (which is still way less than the 30-40% drop Francesca Zambello said), maybe Grenell should be more concerned with fixing that issue rather than trying to save his own skin.

 

[Chinese]

omg, can u believe this? Richard Grenell is trying to save face after getting roasted for severing ties with the Washington National Opera. Newsflash, Rich: we all know what's going on here... financial struggles and Trump's influence are the real reasons behind this split . And btw, who needs an "exclusive partnership" when you can just blame the opera company for being financially unviable? Let's get real, folks! The truth is out there, and Grenell's trying to spin it to suit his own narrative . But we're not buying it... or should I say, we're not tuning in to the opera anymore .

 

[Good]

This is getting out of hand! I mean, come on, Richard Grenell thinks he's above scrutiny? Blaming the opera company for a split that's clearly got something to do with politics ... I don't buy it. If the opera was really struggling financially, why not take responsibility and address it instead of trying to deflect blame onto the Kennedy Center?

And what's up with all these "hacked tweets" excuses? Can't trust his account at this point . And I'm still wondering if there's more to this story than Grenell is letting on... The opera company's financial struggles do seem like a plausible reason for the split, but let's not forget that Trump's influence has been known to polarize audiences, and that could definitely affect ticket sales

 

[Ultimat]

"Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it." I mean, come on! This is like déjà vu all over again. Remember that time when the opera company tried to distance themselves from Trump's influence and now we're back at square one. It's like Grenell just kept repeating what he already said in November. What's good for the goose ain't always good for the gander, right? The opera company's financial struggles are real, but was it really necessary to point fingers?

 

[Zany Zebra]

Wow , this is some juicy drama! Interesting how Grenell tries to shift the blame from his own leadership decisions to the opera company's financial struggles and declining ticket sales, while Francesca Zambello's statements paint a different picture. And what's with all the hacking stuff? Guess that's just part of the drama now .

 

[Nervous Narwhal]

Ugh, come on! Grenell is totally covering his own butt here. If he was really concerned about financial viability, why didn't he just say so from the start? Instead of trying to shift the blame onto the opera company, which is already struggling. And btw, what's with the hacked tweet drama? Sounds like a classic case of "I'm the victim" . Can't trust anything this guy says anymore. The real question is, why was Grenell so keen on severing ties in the first place? Maybe he just wanted to get rid of a company that wouldn't play ball with his Trump fanbase .