Kelly Clarkson is engaged in a public dispute with a Brooklyn business over an encounter at its store, drawing strong reactions on social media from people taking both sides.
The dispute began Saturday when Clarkson posted on social media that she felt disrespected during a visit to Art of Play, a store that sells specialty games, puzzles and gifts.
“Just drove all the way to Brooklyn to check out this store I thought looked really rad and had a few things in mind to buy and literally was looked at as if I couldn’t afford it and was told he could find something comparable for me,” Clarkson wrote on X. “Wow, dude. You’re an idiot and just lost a huge sale. But y’all should go check out Art of Play in Brooklyn if you enjoy being treated like Julia Roberts character in Pretty Woman. For sure, check it out.”
The store faced a wave of negative reviews from Clarkson’s fans following her post. It later responded on Instagram, saying the item Clarkson wanted to purchase was not for sale.
“Kelly Clarkson visited us in Brooklyn and inquired about buying “Molly,” a one-of-a-kind singing and dancing bird automaton who plays an important role in the magic shows we host here,” the store said in the post. “Molly is permanently attached to the wall and isn’t for sale. However, the negative experience Kelly described on twitter would resonate with anyone who has ever felt judged in a shop.”
The store described the “attacks” from Clarkson’s fans as a “surreal experience” and thanked those who had supported the business.
“We’re going to keep our heads down and hopefully, we can clear things up with Kelly someday,” the store added.
But Clarkson challenged the store’s account, posting a photo showing a $15,000 price tag next to the bird and accusing the business of lying about what happened.
“Cool, cool. Sure, it wasn’t for sale. That’s the narrative Art of Play is gonna go with 👍 so the whole conversation we had when I asked you if it was for sale whilst pointing to the price tag hanging on the wall with the title Singing Bird didn’t happen as you elevator eyed me saying in a 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.” That all never happened and now it’s not for sale,” Clarkson questioned.
In a subsequent statement, the store reiterated that the bird Clarkson had asked about was not for sale, noting that it is permanently attached to the wall and “serves as a de facto mascot for our shop.”
The business said an employee had explained that the bird’s creator had a nearly identical bird available for $15,000, which it said was the price discussed with Clarkson.
The store also said it had offered to show Clarkson a less expensive alternative.
“We also offered to show her a different singing bird automaton, made by a traditional clockmaking shop in Germany, that she could have taken home with her that day,” the store said. “It costs about $2,000. She did not stick around long enough to see it.”
The business said it has reached out to Clarkson in hopes of resolving the disagreement and clearing up what it described as a misunderstanding.
Clarkson has not publicly responded to the store’s latest statement.
