Kelly Clarkson Responds to Brooklyn Store Dispute With New Statement

Kelly Clarkson has accused the specialty store Art of Play of lying after the Brooklyn shop pushed back on her account of a Pretty Woman-style snub.

Clarkson initially called out Art of Play over the weekend in a post shared to X. She stated that staff treated her as though she could not afford the merchandise, comparing the experience to the 1990 Julia Roberts film.

The store responded on Sunday (Oct. 11) via Instagram, stating that the item Clarkson asked about—a singing-and-dancing bird automaton used in its magic shows named Molly—is permanently attached to the wall and not for sale.

Clarkson disputed the explanation in an Instagram Stories post. The 44-year-old shared a grainy photo she said showed the bird on display beside a $15,000 price tag and wrote, “So you’re not only rude, you’re also a liar. Got it.” She also recounted a condescending exchange where an employee quoted the price before offering to find something comparable.

She rejected suggestions that she was punching down at a small business, noting she was shopping at one when the alleged slight occurred. “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.” She added, “Your store is really cool. Unfortunately, you aren’t.”

Art of Play adopted a more conciliatory tone in its Sunday statement, acknowledging that the negative experience described by Clarkson would resonate with anyone who has ever felt judged in a shop and emphasizing that all visitors are equally welcome.

The shop also reported being overwhelmed by the response to Clarkson’s post, stating it was suddenly attacked by 8 million people who had never visited the store. It concluded with a nod to the singer’s catalog by quoting a line from her 2012 hit “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You).”

The exchange occurs during a transitional period for Clarkson. In August, she aired the series finale of her Daytime Emmy-winning program The Kelly Clarkson Show after seven seasons to prioritize her children. She has since returned to NBC’s The Voice for its 30th season alongside Adam Levine, Queen Latifah, and Riley Green. As one of the most successful artists to emerge from reality television after winning the first season of American Idol in 2002, Clarkson has topped the Billboard Hot 100 with “A Moment Like This” and “My Life Would Suck Without You” and launched eight consecutive top-five albums on the Billboard 200, most recently with 2023’s Chemistry, which debuted at No. 6.