Kelly Clarkson is "clearly so ticked off" by her row with a New York curiosity shop.
The 44-year-old Grammy Award-winning pop star has become embroiled in a very public spat with Art of Play in Brooklyn, with both sides having their say on social media after she compared her treatment to Julia Roberts' character in Pretty Woman.
A source told PEOPLE magazine: "“She’s usually very private and public drama like this isn’t her.
"She’s clearly so ticked off that she couldn’t keep quiet about it. Everyone is surprised by how much this whole thing has escalated.”
The Since U Been Gone hitmaker had originally alleged that staff "looked at" her as if she "couldn't afford" their producers.
On Sunday (11.10.26) Art of Play responded: "Yesterday, 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.
"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.
“At Art of Play whether someone comes in to make a purchase or simply look around for a while, they are equally welcome.
"We greet everyone who walks in the door with the invitation to ‘pick things up and play.’ And they do, many stay for hours enjoying our puzzles, games and toys.
“Imagine our surprise when our small local business was suddenly attacked by 8 million people who have never visited our store. It’s been a surreal experience to be the focus of such widespread outrage after just one mention by a celebrity."
Kelly has since responded with her own version of events.
She wrote: "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. Okay, cool. So you’re not only rude, you’re also a liar. Got it."
Kelly insisted the fact she was "literally at a small business trying to purchase things" proves that she supports them.
Kelly reposted an image showing a $15,000 price tag next to the item in question.
A Hollywood Reporter reader has since emailed the outlet and pointed out how the store has referred to that specific item as its own mascot for a while, with other posts saying it's not for sale.
Art of Play has since shared another statement to "clarify one additional detail".
They wrote: "During the 5 minutes she spent in the store, she inquired about our mechanical bird puppet named Molly.
"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, a brilliant artist named Bliss Kolb who lives in Seattle.
"He told us he would be willing to part with Molly's twin for $15,000. We explained all of this to Kelly Clarkson."
They claimed they also offered to show Kelly
"a different singing bird automaton, made by a traditional clockmaking shop in Germany" which costs around $2,000.
They added: "We've reached out to Kelly directly to try and clear the air. We really do wish her the best and hope that someday we can all laugh about this misunderstanding.”