A brief four-minute and 50-second visit by singer Kelly Clarkson to the Brooklyn novelty store Art of Play has escalated into a public dispute, complete with conflicting accounts and the release of surveillance footage.
The confrontation began on a Saturday afternoon when Clarkson, accompanied by her children, entered the store. According to reports, Clarkson claims store staff treated her disrespectfully, making her feel as though she "couldn't afford" items. The singer insists the staff were dismissive of her interest in a taxidermied bird named Molly.
Surveillance footage shows Clarkson entering the store at 2:49 p.m. and approaching the bird. She is seen interacting with a staff member before leaving the premises at 2:52 p.m. Six steps outside the store, at 2:54 p.m., Clarkson began documenting her experience on her phone. Fifteen minutes later, at 3:09 p.m., she posted a tweet detailing her alleged negative experience.
Art of Play owners Adam Rubin and Aoife McIntyre have contested Clarkson's narrative. They stated that Molly the bird was never for sale and that Clarkson's team had been informed of this. The owners claim they were attempting to protect the item and did not understand Clarkson's reaction.
Since the incident, the dispute has intensified. Art of Play reported receiving thousands of threats and hateful messages. The store has since humorously altered the price of Molly to $15 million, displayed prominently in the shop. Neither Clarkson nor the store have shown signs of de-escalating the feud, with Clarkson continuing to criticize the store's alleged behavior and the store defending its actions and reputation.