Kelly Clarkson vs. Art of Play has continued to escalate since the singer and TV host called out the Brooklyn shop for treating her like Julia Roberts’ character in Pretty Woman. On Saturday, the singer shared that she had visited the store and was looked down on by an employee.
“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,” she wrote on X.
Art of Play explained that Clarkson had wanted to purchase Molly, an animatronic singing bird, that wasn’t for sale. Online photos later confirmed the sculpture had a price tag of $15,000. Clarkson responded by saying “you’re not only rude, you’re also a liar.” The shop claimed to have reached out to clear the air, however that air does not seem to be getting any clearer.
The owners of Art of Play have been speaking to the press about the incident, noting that Clarkson’s posts have resulted in substantial trolling for the shop. Adam Rubin, one of the co-owners, told USA Today that the store’s phone and emails have been flooded with threatening messages. He added that Molly is now available for sale at the price of $15 million.
“We are afraid for the safety of our shopkeepers,” Rubin said. “Kelly Clarkson has put us in danger.”
He also alleged that the singer scolded one of the employees on her way out. “Nothing happened in this shop to justify her scolding our shopkeeper on the way out, but I could let that go. Everybody has a bad day,” Rubin said. “But things changed when she used her platform to attack us. It’s asymmetrical social warfare.”
On Tuesday, journalist Pablo Torre shared footage of Clarkson visiting Art of Play. The clip does not contain audio, does show her observing Molly and speaking to an employee. Clarkson can be seen pulling out her phone as she exits the store. According to the footage, Clarkson tweeted only 15 minutes after leaving.
Rubin said Clarkson was in the store for “less than five minutes.” “If this tweetstorm had not happened, we wouldn’t have realized there was a negative interaction in the shop; it was that undramatic,” he said. “We treated her like a normal person, but apparently that didn’t live up to her expectations.”
He added, “I want to be very clear about this. Nobody who has ever visited this store in person is taking Kelly Clarkson’s side.”
Clarkson has yet to respond.
