Kelly Clarkson and Brooklyn shop Art of Play in dispute

Singer Kelly Clarkson and the Brooklyn-based specialty store Art of Play are involved in a public dispute following Clarkson's visit to the shop in October. Clarkson accused an employee of treating her as though she could not afford a purchase, comparing the experience to the film ‘Pretty Woman’. She specifically expressed frustration over being unable to purchase a mechanical bird automaton named Molly.

The store owner, Adam Rubin, characterized the situation as an ‘insane misunderstanding’. Art of Play stated that Molly is a permanent mascot attached to the wall, but offered to connect Clarkson with the artist, Bliss Kolb, to acquire a similar piece for $15,000. While Clarkson shared a photo of a $15,000 price tag to suggest the item was indeed for sale, the store maintains the specific mascot was not.

Rubin has since stated that Clarkson’s social media complaints have resulted in threatening messages, claiming the situation has ‘put us in danger’. Security footage of the visit shows the encounter lasted less than five minutes, though the audio remains unavailable to resolve the conflicting accounts of the interaction.