Kelly Clarkson’s weekend shopping trip has turned into a messy public fight between a celebrity and a small business, and as of Monday it still isn’t over.
How it started
On Saturday, Kelly posted on X that she drove all the way to Art of Play, a curiosity shop in Brooklyn, with a few things in mind to buy. She said an employee looked at her like she couldn’t afford anything and offered to find her “something comparable.” She called him an idiot who had just lost a huge sale. She also told her followers to check the store out if they enjoy being treated like Julia Roberts’ character in Pretty Woman. That’s the famous scene where Vivian gets snubbed by boutique saleswomen who assume she can’t pay.
The post took off. Men’s Journal reports it has passed 39 million views. Fans quickly piled onto the store’s Yelp and Google pages with one-star reviews.
The store’s side
Art of Play was founded by twin brothers Dan and Dave Buck. It sells puzzles, games, toys and books, and it has a small theater for close-up magic shows. On Sunday the store posted a statement on Instagram. It said Kelly had asked about Molly, a one-of-a-kind singing and dancing mechanical bird that plays a part in its magic shows. According to the store, Molly is permanently attached to the wall and isn’t for sale.
The shop said everyone is equally welcome there, whether they buy something or just browse. It called the backlash surreal, describing itself as a small local business suddenly attacked by millions of people who had never set foot inside. It signed off by quoting one of Kelly’s own hits: “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”
Kelly fires back
Kelly didn’t buy it. Later Sunday she posted that she had pointed at a price tag on the wall labeled “Singing Bird” and asked if it was for sale. She said the employee looked her up and down and told her yes, but it cost $15,000, and offered to find her something comparable. She called the shop “not only rude” but also a liar. She also shared a fan’s photo showing a $15,000 tag next to the bird.
Kelly also responded to the idea that she was picking on a small business. She pointed out that she was literally at a small business trying to spend money, and said being small doesn’t give anyone a free pass to treat customers badly.
Monday’s update
Today the store posted a second statement with more detail. It says Kelly was inside for about five minutes. Staff explained that Molly stays on the wall, but that the bird’s creator, Seattle artist Bliss Kolb, owns a nearly identical twin he’d be willing to sell for $15,000. The store says staff also offered to show her a different singing bird made by a German clockmaking shop, priced around $2,000, that she could have taken home that day. According to the store, she left before seeing it. Art of Play says it has reached out to Kelly directly and hopes everyone can laugh about the misunderstanding someday.
Where it stands
Both sides now agree that $15,000 came up. They disagree on what was actually for sale and on how the employee said it. TODAY notes that a few weeks before Kelly’s visit, the store had featured Molly in a social post about its favorite items that aren’t for sale. As of Monday morning, Kelly hasn’t publicly responded to the store’s second statement.
