Kelly Clarkson and a Brooklyn game store are in a public dispute over a singing bird. Clarkson says staff looked down on her and quoted a $15,000 price. The shop, Art of Play, says the bird is not for sale. Neither account has been independently verified.
A shopping trip to Brooklyn has turned into a very public argument for Kelly Clarkson. The singer posted about it on Saturday, October 10, and the store, Art of Play, answered on Sunday, according to The Hollywood Reporter, Billboard and Vulture.
Clarkson’s Account
Clarkson wrote that she “literally was looked at as if I couldn’t afford it and was told he could find something comparable for me”, and compared the experience to the treatment of Julia Roberts’s character in Pretty Woman. She called the employee “an idiot” who “just lost a huge sale”.
The Store’s Reply
Art of Play, which sells home goods, puzzles, games, toys and books and has a 26-seat theatre for magic shows, said on Instagram that Clarkson had asked about buying “Molly”, a one-of-a-kind singing and dancing bird automaton used in its magic shows.
“Molly is permanently attached to the wall and isn’t for sale,” the post said. It added that the experience Clarkson described “would resonate with anyone who has ever felt judged in a shop”, and that every visitor is “equally welcome”.
The shop said it had been “suddenly attacked by 8 million people who have never visited our store”, and ended with a line from one of Clarkson’s own songs: “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”
Clarkson Responds
Clarkson, 44, answered in Instagram Stories. She said she had pointed to a price tag on the wall beside the title “Singing Bird”, and that an employee told her: “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.”
“So you’re not only rude, you’re also a liar. Got it,” she wrote. She shared a grainy photo that she said showed the bird next to a $15,000 price tag.
She also rejected the idea that she was punching down: “You don’t get a free pass to treat people less than in your store just because you are a small business. It’s not that hard to be kind.” Her parting line: “Your store is really cool. Unfortunately, you aren’t.”
What Is Not Known
None of the reports could independently confirm what was said in the shop or whether the bird was ever offered for sale. Vulture noted that the store neither confirmed nor denied Clarkson’s version of events.
Where Clarkson Is Right Now
In August, Clarkson aired the finale of The Kelly Clarkson Show after seven seasons, saying she wanted to “prioritize my kids”. She has since returned to NBC’s The Voice for its 30th season, alongside Adam Levine, Queen Latifah and Riley Green. She won the first season of American Idol in 2002.
Image: Kelly Clarkson performing live in Birmingham, England (file photo). Photo: vagueonthehow / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
