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Kelly Clarkson Claims of Poor Treatment Spark $15M Bird Row
Confirmed
In Short: Clarkson claims an employee pointed to the price tag during their exchange, but the store disputes this.
Kelly Clarkson has accused Brooklyn store Art of Play of treating her poorly during a shopping trip, leading to a heated dispute over a $15,000 mechanical singing bird. The incident has escalated into a safety concern for the store's owners.
Co-owner Adam Rubin told Fox News Digital that the singer has put his business in danger after her viral dispute over the mechanical bird. Rubin said, 'But I am afraid for the safety of our shop. Kelly Clarkson has put us in danger.'
Security camera footage released by podcaster Pablo Torre shows Clarkson entering the shop with her children, browsing items, and speaking briefly with an employee near the bird, known as Molly.
Clarkson claims an employee pointed to the price tag during their exchange, but the store disputes this. Art of Play previously explained in a public statement that the original $15,000 figure referred to a nearly identical automaton available from artist Bliss Kolb, while Molly herself is permanently attached to the wall and serves as a fixture in the store's magic performances.
The business also said another singing bird automaton, priced at approximately $2,000, was available. However, Clarkson left before seeing it.
The price tag for the bird at the center of the controversy has now soared to $15 million, adding another twist to the dispute that began Saturday when Clarkson visited the Brooklyn shop.
Rubin accused Clarkson of an 'abuse of power,' arguing that her enormous platform has intensified the backlash against his small business. He told The Blast, 'The situation is a reprehensible abuse of power.'
The shop has received threatening calls and messages, negative reviews, and social media abuse. Rubin also claimed that some people had arrived outside the shop to confront employees, while online users had circulated personal information about neighbors who filmed the incident.
Clarkson has spoken out about her unpleasant shopping experience, saying the way she was treated reminded her of Julia Roberts' character in the 1990 film 'Pretty Woman.'
Crisis and reputation strategist Molly McPherson said on TODAY, 'The fact that this story has been fed for so many days in the news cycle is interesting.'
The dispute has divided online audiences, with some supporting Clarkson’s account and others criticizing her decision to publicly identify the small business.
The incident has raised questions about customer service, celebrity influence, and the potential consequences of publicly naming a store.
What this adds
The price tag for the bird at the center of the controversy has now soared to $15 million, adding another twist to the dispute that began Saturday when Clarkson visited the Brooklyn shop.
The footage, released by Pablo Torre, host of the investigative podcast Pablo Torre Finds Out, shows a woman identified as Clarkson entering the shop with her children, browsing items and speaking briefly with an employee near the bird, known as Molly.
The dispute has divided online audiences, with some supporting Clarkson’s account and others criticizing her decision to publicly identify the small business.
Background
Kelly Clarkson has accused Brooklyn store Art of Play of treating her poorly during a shopping trip, leading to a heated dispute that has escalated into a safety concern for the store's owners.
Kelly Clarkson has accused Brooklyn store Art of Play of treating her poorly during a shopping trip, leading to a heated dispute that has escalated into a safety concern for the store's owners.
What's confirmed
- Art of Play co-owner Adam Rubin poses with Molly, a mechanical singing and dancing bird that has become a fixture at the Brooklyn shop. (Fox News Digital) "But I am afraid for the safety of our shop. Kelly Clarkson has put us in danger," Rubin told Fox News Digital.
- Art of Play previously explained in a public statement that the original $15,000 figure referred to a nearly identical automaton available from artist Bliss Kolb, while Molly herself is permanently attached to the wall and serves as a fixture in the store's magic performances.
- She 'yelled at the shopkeeper on her way out the door,' Rubin told the Daily Mail. 'As she was leaving, she said, "You know, I'm never coming here again."' Rubin also claimed the fallout had put the business in danger. 'Kelly Clarkson has put us in danger,' he said, alleging that the shop had received threatening calls and messages, negative reviews and social media abuse.
What's still developing
- Rubin argued that Clarkson's celebrity status carries a responsibility.
- The Blast also reported that police were called after a disturbance near the store and that staff reportedly locked themselves inside.
- Several Brooklyn residents told the Daily Mail that they had positive experiences with the owners and staff, while one criticized the impact a celebrity’s enormous following can have on a tiny independent business.
- 17 Customer-Loved Amazon Finds for Fall, From $8 Steals & Deals, Boxes & Last Chance Market Newly released security footage shows Kelly Clarkson’s contentious encounter in a Brooklyn curiosity shop now at the center of a viral feud that one of the store’s owners says is putting his staff in danger.
- She claimed a salesperson “elevator eyed” her and said “in condescending tone ‘yes, it’s for sale but it costs 15,000 dollars so if you’d like me to find something comparable for you I can.’” In a follow-up post on Instagram on Oct. 11, Art of Play said that the artist who created Molly was willing to sell Clarkson a matching one for $15,000.