Kelly Clarkson’s very public spat with a Brooklyn curiosity shop has taken another turn after the store disputed her account of an allegedly rude shopping experience. The store, Art of Play, claims that the singer barely spent five minutes inside and was offered an alternative mechanical bird after she asked about the store’s own singing automaton
The dispute began when Clarkson accused the shop of treating her as though she couldn’t afford an item she wanted to buy. Comparing the experience to Julia Roberts’ character in the 1990 film Pretty Woman, the singer criticized the store on social media. Art of Play has since pushed back twice, insisting that the encounter was a misunderstanding. Clarkson previously called the shop “rude” and a “liar” after its first response.
Art of Play says Kelly Clarkson spent just five minutes inside the store
In a follow-up Instagram post on Monday, October 12, 2026, Art of Play sought to clarify what it says happened during Clarkson’s visit on Saturday. The store wrote, “During the 5 minutes she spent in the store, she inquired about our mechanical bird puppet named Molly.”
According to the shop, Molly is a singing and dancing bird automaton that serves as their mascot and features in the magic shows hosted at the venue. The store says the bird is permanently attached to the wall and was never for sale. Art of Play claimed that the artist who created the machines owns a nearly identical automaton and was willing to sell it for USD 15,000. The store stated:
“We explained that while Molly is permanently attached to the wall and serves as a de facto mascot for our shop, a nearly identical automaton is owned by the creator of the machines… He told us he would be willing to part with Molly’s twin for $15,000. We explained all of this to Kelly Clarkson.”
The store allegedly offered to show Clarkson a different singing bird automaton made by a traditional clockmaking shop in Germany. In their defense, that item costs approximately USD 2,000 and was available to take home immediately. However, “She did not stick around long enough to see it.”
The store said it had reached out to Clarkson directly to resolve the disagreement, describing the incident as a misunderstanding and expressing hope that both sides could eventually look back on it differently.
Why Kelly Clarkson called the store a ‘liar’
The controversy began on Saturday, October 10, 2026, when Clarkson shared her frustration about the shopping experience on X, formerly Twitter. The singer said she had driven to Brooklyn to explore Art of Play, a store selling games, puzzles, toys, books, and home goods.
She claimed she had several items in mind to purchase but felt she was being judged by an employee. Clarkson wrote, “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.”
The Grammy winner compared her experience to the treatment of ‘Vivian’, Julia Roberts’ character in Pretty Woman, who is dismissed by a saleswoman at an upscale boutique. Art of Play responded on Sunday, October 11, 2026, explaining that Clarkson had asked about Molly, which the shop said was not for sale. The store also emphasized that all visitors were welcome, whether they intended to make a purchase or simply wanted to browse.
But Clarkson disputed that explanation in a follow-up post. She said she had pointed to a price tag displayed beside the bird, labeled “Singing Bird,” and claimed an employee told her the item was for sale for USD 15,000 before offering to find something comparable. She also reposted an image showing the alleged price tag beside the mechanical bird and wrote, “So you’re not only rude, you’re also a liar. Got it.”
In its initial response, the store even included a playful reference to Clarkson’s 2011 hit Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You), hoping to keep going despite the sudden controversy. However, the store had even posted about Molly weeks before the drama, where they stated that the bird was “not for sale.” The post is now pinned on their Instagram page.
Meanwhile, a source close to Clarkson told Page Six that the singer was unusually upset by the encounter. According to the source, Clarkson is generally private and approachable, making her decision to publicly criticize the store particularly notable.
Kelly Clarkson has yet to respond to the store’s new statement.
Image courtesy: Kelly Clarkson/Instagram, Art of Play/Instagram
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