A celebrity shopping complaint can become everyone's business pretty quickly. This weekend, that customer was Kelly Clarkson. The purchase in question? A $15,000 singing bird.
"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," Clarkson posted on X on Oct. 10. "Wow, dude. You're an idiot and just lost a huge sale."
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The shop in question is the Brooklyn Heights store Art of Play, which sells games, puzzles, toys, books, and home goods. Clarkson called it out by name, comparing her experience to the boutique scene in Pretty Woman, where employees famously dismiss Julia Roberts' character because they assume she can't afford to shop there.
"But y'all should go check out Art of Play in Brooklyn if you enjoy being treated like Julia Roberts character in Pretty Woman," she wrote. "For sure, check it out."
The shop, however, had a different explanation for why she hadn't left with the bird. In its Oct. 11 Instagram response, Art of Play said Clarkson had asked about Molly, a singing and dancing mechanical bird used in its magic shows. "Molly is permanently attached to the wall and isn't for sale," the business wrote.
The shop acknowledged that Clarkson's account would resonate with anyone who had felt judged while shopping, but maintained that customers were welcome whether they bought anything or simply browsed. It said the response to her post had brought a wave of unwanted attention.
"Imagine our surprise when our small local business was suddenly attacked by 8 million people who have never visited our store," the statement read. "It's been a surreal experience to be the focus of such widespread outrage after just one mention by a celebrity." The statement also included a nod to Clarkson's own music: "As a talented popular singer once said, 'What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.'"
That's not where this feud ended, though. Clarkson then responded with a photo — specifically, one showing a $15,000 price tag labeled "Singing Bird." In a second X post, she alleged that the employee had looked her up and down like an "elevator" and, in a condescending tone, told her that the bird was for sale for $15,000 before offering to find something comparable.
"So you're not only rude, you're also a liar," she wrote. "Got it."
She also pushed back on the idea that calling out a small business was off-limits. "I love small businesses and know they are important, and I always support them, but you don't get a free pass to treat people less than in your store just because you are a small business," she wrote. "It's not that hard to be kind."
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The shop, run by twin magicians Dan and Dave Buck and author Adam Rubin in 2013, offered additional context in a follow-up statement. According to the shop, Molly, the singing and dancing mechanical bird Clarkson had admired, is permanently attached to the shop’s wall and used in its magic shows. But her creator, Seattle artist Bliss Kolb, owns a nearly identical version that could be purchased.
"He told us he would be willing to part with Molly’s twin for $15,000," the shop wrote. "We explained all of this to Kelly Clarkson."
The shop said it had also offered to show Clarkson another singing bird, made by a German clockmaker, which she could have taken home that day. "It costs about $2,000," the statement continued. "She did not stick around long enough to see it."
Online, the disagreement has already become much more about what was available to buy. Some commenters defended Clarkson's right to describe a bad experience.
"We never doubted you queen. Their response was in extremely poor taste," one wrote. Others argued that naming the shop exposed a small business to a disproportionate response. "Wow, you're just determined to destroy a small business, aren't you? I hope they EXPLODE in popularity," said another.
The fallout reached the shop's Facebook page. "Anyone who's been a fan of Kelly’s for years knows that she is incredibly kind, generous, and very humble. And she's far from being a diva. The experience she had at that store had to be pretty bad for her to speak out about it…" wrote one user.
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Others focused on the shop’s response, questioning why it hadn’t apologized or offered to connect Clarkson with the artist. "Why not say, 'We can put you in touch with the maker?'" another user wrote. "I’d bet they’d be thrilled to have Kelly as a customer." One Clarkson fan wrote, "Is the apology in the room with us?"
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Business Insider reported seeing recent negative Google reviews that appeared to be connected to the dispute, but they were no longer visible when it checked again later. It also found polarized responses on Yelp, though it's unclear whether the reviewers had visited the store. Some users questioned the price tag, while others accused Clarkson of using her platform against the shop.
"So a celebrity walks into a small, privately owned business. She doesn’t get exactly what she wants, so she cops an attitude and trashes said small business," wrote one reviewer. "Even if you weren’t lying, you still did the morally wrong thing."
Others shared accounts of shopping there themselves. One woman said she visited over the summer with her family and described a welcoming experience. "I was a little nervous since there [is] some really expensive stuff in there, but I felt very welcome," she wrote.
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Some were harsher. One wrote, "There's no place like Art of Play. It's one of one. Not everything there is for sale, regardless of how famous you are. Go write a song about it. Stop using your online influence to sh*t on a brick and mortar shop that's as dope as Art of Play. If you're near Brooklyn, you have to check this place out!"
This isn't the first time this month that Clarkson has received negative backlash for public commentary: Clarkson's enthusiasm for AI on Las Culturistas prompted disappointed reactions from some fans, as Mashable reported Oct. 2. "Kelly no...this isn't you...," one commenter wrote.
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These disputes come as Clarkson settles into a new TV chapter. The Kelly Clarkson Show ended its seven-season run on Aug. 31, after she announced she was stepping away to prioritize her children. She’s still on television, though, returning as a coach for Season 30 of The Voice, which premiered in September.
As of now, Art of Play says it has reached out to Clarkson directly, leaving open the possibility that the next conversation will happen privately.
"We've reached out to Kelly directly to try and clear the air," the shop wrote. "We really do wish her the best and hope that someday we can all laugh about this misunderstanding."