Kelly Clarkson is not backing down from a New York City shop owner who disputed her claim that she was denied a sale of a $15,000 item.
On Sunday, the 44-year-old “American Idol” winner took to her Instagram Stories to address the response from Art of Play.
The Brooklyn-based store maintained that the item Clarkson wanted to buy was “permanently attached to the wall and isn’t for sale,” despite the singer claiming it had a price tag on display.
“Cool, cool. Sure, it wasn’t for sale,” Clarkson wrote in a sarcastic post. “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, so if you’d like me to find something comparable for you I can.’ That all never happened and now it’s not for sale.”
Kelly Clarkson Responds to Art of Play’s Claims
The “Since U Been Gone” hitmaker didn’t hold back in calling out the store, standing firm in her account of what happened.
“So you’re not only rude, you’re also a liar. Got it,” Clarkson fired back.
While Clarkson said she is a supporter of small businesses, she made it clear that this doesn’t justify treating customers poorly.
“It’s not that hard to be kind. I never blast people but you my friend were an exception. Your store is really cool,” Clarkson continued. “Unfortunately, you aren’t.”
What Sparked Kelly Clarkson’s Dispute With Art of Play?
On Saturday, Clarkson took to social media to share how her visit to Art of Play reminded her of Julia Roberts’ character in the 1990 rom-com “Pretty Woman.”
“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,” she wrote on X. “Wow, dude. You’re an idiot and just lost a huge sale.”
Shortly after Clarkson’s post, the store addressed her claims in a lengthy Instagram post.
“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 wrote. “Molly is permanently attached to the wall and isn’t for sale. However, the negative experience Kelly described on twitter would resonate with anyone who has ever felt judged in a shop.”
The statement continued, “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.”
In a separate post, Art of Play clarified that Clarkson spent about five minutes in the store asking about the mechanical bird, and that they explained to her that it serves as a de facto mascot for the shop.
They also explained that the creator of the machine, Seattle-based artist Bliss Kolb, owned a nearly identical version and was willing to sell it for $15,000.
The post continued, “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. She did not stick around long enough to see it.
We’ve reached out to Kelly directly to try and clear the air. We really do wish her the best and hope that someday we can all laugh about this misunderstanding.”
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Kelly Clarkson Saga Continues as Singer Doubles Down on NYC Shop Incident