Kennedy Center Chief Richard Grenell criticizes Disney’s announcement that Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda will serve as a guest mentor on next week’s episode of American Idol.
After being appointed as the interim president of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, Grenell took to his X account to express his disapproval of Disney-owned ABC’s decision to feature Miranda.
“It’s embarrassing, @AmericanIdol,” Grenell tweeted on Monday.
“Inviting @lin_manuel as a youth leader just three weeks after pulling the show from the Kennedy Center shows a clear bias towards political intolerance,” he added.
“We need artists who are inclusive. Evaluating an audience’s voting history should not be the standard for participation,” he stated.
“Silly move, @ABC.”
In March, the show’s producers announced the cancellation of a planned performance of Hamilton, which was expected to take place next year.
On March 5th, producer Jeffrey Seller shared the cancellation notice on X.
“The recent removal of both professional staff by the Trump administration and the cancellation of performing arts events at the Kennedy Center undermines everything this national institution represents,” he wrote.
