CeCe Winans Faces Backlash After Posting Sister’s Kennedy Center Honors Performance
CeCe Winans is trending — but this time, it’s not for her music.
The legendary gospel singer is catching heat online after she shared a video of her sister, Debbie Winans, performing at this year’s Kennedy Center Honors. While many fans praised Debbie’s powerful vocals, others were upset that CeCe would publicly support an institution now closely tied to President Donald Trump.
In her post, CeCe kept it joyful and celebratory.
“The Kennedy Honors were awesome! Great job Robert Deaton! And my baby sister @debbie.winans was incredible!!! Praise God,” she wrote.
But the response was mixed.
Some social media users felt that appearing at the Kennedy Center under its new political leadership sends the wrong message. Since Trump’s reelection, the institution has become a cultural and political flashpoint, with critics saying it now represents a MAGA-driven agenda rather than a neutral arts venue.
One commenter wrote that in a time when “the current administration is trying to silence the arts and tear apart families,” they expected CeCe and her family to take a stand rather than “lean into it.”
Others defended CeCe, saying she was simply supporting her sister’s gospel performance and not endorsing any political views.
“Being in the room doesn’t mean you agree with everyone in it,” one fan argued. “Jesus didn’t avoid rooms — He changed them.”
But not everyone saw it that way.
Another critic said that performing at the Kennedy Center now “isn’t neutral,” comparing it to supporting systems of oppression. That opinion sparked strong debate across Threads and X, where fans clashed over whether artists should boycott the venue or use their platform inside it.
The controversy comes at a time when the Kennedy Center itself is under national scrutiny.
After taking office again, Trump reshaped the center’s board of trustees and was later elected chair. The changes led several artists, including Issa Rae, Rhiannon Giddens, and the producers of Hamilton, to cancel their planned appearances at the venue.
Recently, Trump went a step further and renamed the institution to include his own name, triggering even more backlash and legal challenges.
Still, despite the political drama surrounding the venue, Debbie Winans’ performance was widely praised, with many fans saying she represented gospel music beautifully on that stage.
As of now, CeCe Winans has not addressed the criticism directly. But one thing is certain — her post has reignited the conversation about how artists, especially those with strong faith-based platforms, navigate the intersection of music, politics, and culture.