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Kelly Clarkson argues with a New York store over a beloved bird automaton named Molly. Yes, really.
Over the weekend, the 44-year-old “Breakaway” singer shared in an Pretty woman.
“I drove all the way to Brooklyn to visit this store that I thought was really awesome and had a few things in mind to buy and was literally looked at like I couldn’t afford it and told they could find something comparable for me,” she wrote in the post. “Wow, man. You’re an idiot and you just lost a huge sale. But you should all go see Art of Play in Brooklyn if you like being treated like Julia Roberts’ character in Pretty woman.»
Following the criticism, Clarkson’s fans began targeting Art of Play – described on its website as a “unique collection of homewares, puzzles, games, toys and books” that opened its flagship store in 2024 – in social media comments and online reviews. The backlash then prompted the outlet to refute the former talk show host’s story in a lengthy Instagram post.
“Yesterday, Kelly Clarkson visited us in Brooklyn and asked how to purchase ‘Molly,’ a one-of-a-kind singing and dancing automaton bird that plays a big role in the magic shows we put on here,” the store shared in an Instagram post on Sunday. “Molly is permanently attached to the wall and is not for sale. However, the negative experience Kelly described on Twitter would resonate with anyone who has ever felt judged in a store.”
The statement went on to say that all visitors are welcome in the store, adding: “Imagine our surprise when our small, local business was suddenly attacked by 8 million people who have never visited our store. It has been a surreal experience to be at the center of such outrage after just one celebrity mention.”
Although the store reposted several messages of praise from customers, its statement sparked speculation within the store, as social media users pointed out that photos of the bird show a tag next to the item that appears to list a price of $15,000.
Clarkson, who faced backlash for using her famous platform for her first negative review, later doubled down and called the store a “liar” in a post shared on X as well as her Instagram story.
“Cool, cool. Of course it wasn’t for sale,” she wrote Sunday evening. “That’s the narrative that Art of Play is going to accompany – so the whole conversation we had when I asked you if it was for sale while pointing to the price tag on the wall with the title Singing Bird didn’t happen as you looked at me in the elevator and said in a condescending tone, ‘Yes, it’s for sale but it’s $15,000, so if you’d like me to find something comparable for you, I can.’ All of this never happened and now it’s no longer for sale.
Clarkson continued, “So you’re not only rude, you’re also a liar. Got it. And by the way, I obviously support small business because I was literally in a small business trying to buy things. I love small businesses and I know they’re important and I always support them, but you don’t get a free pass for treating people less than you would at your store just because you’re a small business.
“It’s not that hard to be nice. I never criticize people but you, my friend, were an exception. Your store is really cool. Unfortunately, that’s not the case,” she concluded.
In response, Art of Play shared another post clarifying that Clarkson had only spent five minutes in the store and that she had asked questions “about our mechanical puppet called Molly.”
“We explained that although Molly is permanently attached to the wall and serves as the de facto mascot for our store, a nearly identical automaton belongs to the creator of the machines, a brilliant artist named Bliss Kolb who lives in Seattle,” the store said. “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 said saleswomen offered to show Clarkson a different songbird that cost $2,000 and was made by a traditional clockmaking workshop in Germany, but “she didn’t stay long enough to see it.”
“We reached out to Kelly directly to try to clear things up. We truly wish her the best and hope that one day we can all laugh about this misunderstanding,” the outlet concluded.
The Independent has contacted Clarkson and the store for additional comment.
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