Art of Play Owner Says Viral Dispute With Kelly Clarkson Has Led to Threats Against NYC Store

Art of Play co-owner Adam Rubin states that the Brooklyn specialty shop and individuals associated with it have faced harassment and threats since Kelly Clarkson criticized her shopping experience online.

In an interview with Curbed published on Tuesday (Oct. 13), Rubin described the situation as an insane misunderstanding and noted that the attention has placed the store and its employees in a difficult position.

“Kelly Clarkson has put us in danger,” Rubin said, claiming that people have received threats in the street and that individuals expressing support for the store online have also faced attacks.

Rubin stated that the shop has received phone calls, emails, and negative reviews across multiple platforms. He also stated that people have appeared outside the business to confront staff and that online users have shared personal information about neighbors who filmed the ordeal.

The volume of messages became so overwhelming that the store turned off its phone, according to Rubin. He noted that comments continued to appear on the shop point-of-sale iPad while employees assisted customers.

“There’s so much hate speech, so many threats of violence. If an actual customer tries to get in touch with us right now, they will never be able to,” Rubin said.

The controversy began Saturday (Oct. 10) when Clarkson criticized Art of Play on X after visiting the Brooklyn shop. The singer stated she felt judged as unable to afford an item she wanted to purchase, comparing the experience to Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman.

Art of Play responded on social media by disputing Clarkson’s account and explaining that the item was a mechanical singing bird named Molly. The store stated the bird is permanently attached to a wall and is used in the shop magic shows.

The business identified Molly creator Bliss Kolb and initially stated the bird was not for sale.

Online conversations continued after images surfaced showing a price tag near the bird. Clarkson responded publicly and maintained that a store employee told her the item cost $15,000 before offering to find her something comparable.

In an Instagram statement, Art of Play added that a nearly identical automaton owned by Kolb was available for $15,000 and that an employee offered to show Clarkson a different singing bird automaton from a German clockmaking shop costing approximately $2,000.

The store stated Clarkson left before seeing the alternative item and noted that it reached out to the singer directly to resolve the misunderstanding.

Rubin addressed the distinction between Molly and her twin automaton in the Curbed interview, explaining that the store works with artisans who produce limited numbers of creations. He stated the shop placed a price on Molly after receiving inquiries about the piece but noted that acquiring another automaton requires contacting the creator.

When asked about the price, Rubin joked, “As you’ve noticed, we’ve raised the price due to popular demand. It now costs $15 million.”

Rubin described the shop version of the original interaction by saying the store was busy when Clarkson visited and she spent less than five minutes inside.

“If this tweetstorm had not happened, we wouldn’t have realized there was a negative interaction in the shop; it was that undramatic,” Rubin said. “We treated her like a normal person, but apparently that didn’t live up to her expectations.”

Despite the online backlash, Rubin noted that the store received in-person support, including people bringing pastries and cupcakes while the business was closed Monday.

When asked whether the store received increased interest in the approximately $2,000 bird, Rubin acknowledged that people inquired about it before ending the interview.

Art of Play maintains the incident stemmed from a misunderstanding. Clarkson has stood by her description of the interaction and stated that supporting small businesses does not mean accepting poor treatment as a customer. Billboard reached out to Clarkson representatives for comment.

Neither party account of the in-store conversation has been independently established.

Read some of the Curbed interview below.