Kelly Clarkson found herself embroiled in an online feud with Brooklyn shop Art of Play over the weekend. On Saturday, the singer shared that she had visited the store and faced a similar experience to Julia Roberts’ character. beautiful woman.
“I just drove up to Brooklyn to look at this store, I thought it looked really cool and I had a few things in mind to buy and I was actually looked at like I couldn’t buy it and I was told he could find something comparable for me,” she said. written on x. “Wow, dude. You’re an idiot and just lost a big sale. But if you enjoy being treated like Julia Roberts’ character in Pretty Woman, you should all go see Art of Play in Brooklyn.”
Art of Play, which describes itself as a “unique collection of home goods, puzzles, games, toys and books,” immediately responded.
“Yesterday, Kelly Clarkson visited us in Brooklyn and inquired about purchasing ‘Molly,’ a one-of-a-kind singing and dancing bird automaton who plays a key role in the magic shows we host here,” the store wrote on Instagram. “Molly is permanently attached to the wall and is not for sale. However, the negative experience Kelly described on Twitter will resonate with anyone who has ever experienced being judged in a shop.”
After explaining that they are a welcoming place to shop, the store continued, “Imagine our surprise when our small local business was suddenly attacked by 8 million people who had never visited our store. To be the center of such widespread outrage after just one mention by a celebrity is a surreal experience.”
After many fans online questioned the sincerity of Art of Play’s statement, Clarkson himself returned to the scene.
“Awesome. Of course, it wasn’t for sale,” she wrote on Instagram Stories Sunday night. “This is the narrative that has to go with the Art of Play – hence the whole conversation we had when I asked you if it was for sale, while pointing to the price tag hanging on the wall with the title Singing Bird. It didn’t happen because you looked at me from the elevator and said in a condescending tone, ‘Yes, it is for sale but it cost $15,000, so if you want me to find something comparable for you I can do that. I am.’ “All this never happened and it is no longer for sale.”
She continued, “So you’re not only rude, but also a liar. Got it. And by the way, I obviously support small businesses because I was actually trying to buy things at a small business. I love small businesses and I know they’re important and I always support them, but you don’t get to treat the people in your store less than they deserve just because you’re a small business. It’s not that hard to be kind. I never blame people. But you my friend were an exception, unfortunately, you are not.”
Art of Play later clarified that Clarkson spent only five minutes in the store, during which she inquired about “our mechanical bird puppet named Molly”.
The store wrote, “We explained that while Molly is permanently attached to the wall and serves as a de facto mascot for our shop, the creator of nearly identical automaton machines, a brilliant artist named Bliss Kolb who lives in Seattle, has created one.” “She told us she was willing to part with Molly’s twin for $15,000. We explained all this to Kelly Clarkson. We also offered to show her a different singing bird automaton made by a traditional watch-making shop in Germany, which she could take home with her that day. It cost about $2,000. She didn’t stay there long enough to look at it.”
He added, “We have contacted Kelly directly to clarify the situation. We really wish her the best and hope that someday we can all laugh at this misunderstanding.”