Brooklyn store responds to Kelly Clarkson's claim of being snubbed; singer calls storekeeper 'a liar'
The Brooklyn store that American singer Kelly Clarkson claimed gave her the cold shoulder has responded, eliciting a harsh retort from the performer.
On Sunday, Oct. 11, Clarkson wrote on X that while she was shopping at a "rad" store in Brooklyn, she was "looked at as if I couldn't afford it and was told [the storekeeper] could find something comparable for me."
Hours later, the store, Art of Play, posted their side of the story on Instagram.
"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," the store began.
Apparently, Molly isn't for sale and is attached to the wall permanently.
"However, the negative experience Kelly described on Twitter would resonate with anyone who has ever felt judged in a shop," the post continued.
The store assured that at Art of Play, everyone is invited to "pick things up and play." All guests are "equally welcome," whether they're there to buy something or just to look around for a while.
"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," the post continued.
Art of Play ended its statement with the hope to "clear things up with Kelly someday."
Clarkson was not done, though.
The singer got back on X on Oct. 12 and wrote, "Cool, cool. Sure, it wasn't for sale. That's the narrative Art of Play is gonna go with 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.'"
"So you're not only rude, you're also a liar," Clarkson continued.
She also defended herself, saying she does "love small businesses and know they are important and I will 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," the singer wrote.
"I never blast people but you my friend were an exception," she added.
Art of Play then posted another clarification about Clarkson's visit, which, the store wrote, lasted just five minutes.
When the singer inquired about Molly, the storekeeper explained that while Molly is a permanent fixture in the shop, there was an identical automaton owned by Bliss Kolb, the creator of the machines. But he lived in Seattle.
"He told us he would be willing to part with Molly's twin for $15,000 [around P941,962]. We explained all of this to Kelly Clarkson," the statement read.
"We also offered to show her a different singing bird automaton, made by a traditional clockmaking shop in Germany, that she could have taken home with her that day. It costs about $2,000 [around P125,595]. She did not stick around long enough to see it," the store continued.
Per Art of Play, the store had already reached out to Clarkson "to try to clear the air."
"We really do wish her the best and hope that someday we can all laugh about this misunderstanding," the statement read.
In February 2025, Art of Play wrote on Instagram about Molly being their "beloved shop bird and mascot."
She has a crank that, when pulled, propels Molly to sing and move like a real bird. After a complicated tune-up, which was carried out by an automata artist who flew in from [across the country], the bird "remains very delicate and very expensive so Molly is one of the few items in the shop that has a 'Do Not Touch' sign."
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