Kelly Clarkson Returns to Stage Amid Escalating Brooklyn Store Feud
The singer performed in Las Vegas while her public dispute with Art of Play over a disputed singing bird ornament intensified, leading to threats and harassment against the store.
Kelly Clarkson took the stage in Las Vegas on Wednesday, four days after her public confrontation with a Brooklyn magic store, Art of Play, over a $15,000 singing bird ornament escalated into threats and harassment against the business.
Clarkson, 44, had publicly accused the store on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday of refusing to sell her the mechanical bird, named Molly, and treating her as if she could not afford it. She likened the experience to that of Vivian Ward, Julia Roberts' character in the film "Pretty Woman," who was ejected from a store. A $15,000 price tag is displayed near Molly, although the store maintains this is for an identical, undisplayed ornament.
In response to Clarkson's social media post, Art of Play reported receiving threatening phone calls, texts, and online harassment, including review-bombing and people screaming outside the shop. The store owner, who identified himself as Rubin, stated that his business and neighbors had been targeted, blaming Clarkson for weaponizing her platform. Rubin accused Clarkson of displaying "diva-like behavior" and suggested she "knew exactly what she was doing" when she publicly criticized the store.
Clarkson, dressed in a stylish outfit, performed at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, singing hits like "Since U Been Gone." She made no mention of the ongoing dispute during her performance. The star launched her career by winning the first season of "American Idol" in 2002 and has since had a successful singing and talk show career.
Art of Play has maintained that Molly was not for sale and that they would have been happy to direct Clarkson to the ornament's Seattle-based creator, Bliss Kolb, to commission a similar piece. The price tag next to Molly has since been updated to describe the automaton as "the world's most famous singing bird automata!" Rubin suggested that if someone were to purchase Molly for $15 million, he would donate significant portions of the proceeds to charity and the artist.
Security footage of Clarkson's visit to the store was recently released amid the ongoing public feud. Local customers have voiced support for Rubin and his business, describing the situation as "ridiculous" and criticizing a celebrity for allegedly targeting a small, independently owned store. The store owner added that his staff are "rattled" but also amused by the attention the ornament has received, joking that Molly's value has increased exponentially.
