When Kelly Clarkson slammed an independent store on social media for refusing to sell her a pricey mechanical singing bird that the store insists wasn’t for sale, the singer “put us in danger,” according to the store.
Adam Rubin, co-owner of Art of Play, told USA Today that following Clarkson’s remarks about her experience there, in which she said she was treated “like Julia Roberts’s character in Pretty Woman,” the company started to receive threatening phone calls and unfavorable internet reviews.
“We are worried about our shopkeepers’ safety,” Rubin stated on Tuesday, adding that a neighbor had phoned the police.
Quick Fact
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| What happened | Kelly Clarkson and Art of Play disputed whether a mechanical bird was for sale and how staff treated the singer. |
| Where | Art of Play, Brooklyn Heights, New York City. |
| When | October 2026, with the dispute gaining attention following social media posts on Saturday and Sunday. |
| Who is involved | Kelly Clarkson, Art of Play co owner Adam Rubin, and the store’s employees. |
| Current status | Both sides have shared competing accounts. The store has listed the bird at $15 million, according to reports. |
| Why it matters | The dispute highlights how celebrity criticism can affect small businesses and their employees. |
Kelly Clarkson Store Feud Escalates Over Bird
Additionally, Rubin told Curbed that the singer’s article accusing the store of being snobbish was “asymmetrical social warfare.”Everyone has a bad day, you know,” he remarked. “But things changed when she used her platform to attack us.”
Security camera footage of the exchange between Clarkson and the Art of Play employee has been made public by independent journalist Pablo Torre. However, there is no audio in the video.
Kelly Clarkson Feuds With Brooklyn Store Over Bird
The singer and the Brooklyn store have been exchanging social media posts since Saturday, when Clarkson accused a store employee of trying to sell her a less expensive bird instead of the one she wanted and refusing to sell her the bird based only on appearances.
In response to Clarkson’s allegation, Art of Play said on Instagram on Sunday that the item she inquired for was a “one-of-a-kind singing and dancing bird” called Molly that is utilized in its magic presentations.
According to the store, the fixture is “permanently attached to the wall and isn’t for sale.”
Kelly Clarkson Calls Store Owner a Liar
It was “surreal” to be the subject of “such widespread outrage after just one mention by a celebrity,” according to Art of Play.
Which specialized in strange games, puzzles, and curiosities in addition to hosting magic acts in a secret theater.Imagine how shocked we were when eight million people who had never been to our store suddenly attacked our modest local business,” the store stated.
Clarkson shared a photo that she claimed showed a $15,000 price tag on the bird in order to refute the store’s answer.”All right, great. Thus, you are not just impolite but also dishonest. “I understand,” she wrote on X.
Social Media Users Question Store’s Honesty
Social media users are divided over the disagreement; some claim the store lied about whether the artificial bird was for sale.
In response to the store’s Instagram image, food podcast Camasta wrote: “I was there in August and saw Molly; there was a price tag on it.
The store’s answer was attacked by one commentor: “Their ‘apology’ was not only dishonest, it was so patronizing and passive-aggressive that it gave us all a taste of what you experienced, and further proved your point. Rancid.”
Nigel Carreiro, another X user, commented, “since u been gone the $15,000 price tag has also mysteriously disappeared.”
Kelly Clarkson’s Bird Dispute Sparks Widespread Controversy
People magazine was informed by a source that the singer is often “very private” and that “private drama like this isn’t her.”The source stated, “She’s obviously so irate that she couldn’t keep quiet about it.” “Everyone is surprised by how much this whole thing has escalated.”
Both parties have been contacted by Yahoo for comment.
In 2023, Clarkson relocated The Kelly Clarkson Show from Los Angeles to New York City. In February, she declared that the show would conclude after seven seasons.
