Whoopi Goldberg Lectures Kelly Clarkson on Moving On From Store Dispute
The View host advises Clarkson to find a new shop after a public spat, drawing parallels to Goldberg's own past conflict with a bakery.
Whoopi Goldberg offered Kelly Clarkson advice on Tuesday's edition of The View, suggesting the singer move on from a public dispute with a Brooklyn boutique. Goldberg's counsel came as some observers noted similarities to her own past disagreement with a Staten Island bakery in November 2024.
Clarkson recently took to social media to recount an experience at Art of Play, a Brooklyn curiosity shop, where she claimed she was treated as if she couldn't afford items she inquired about. She posted on X, formerly Twitter, that the salesperson "condescendingly" told her an item was for sale but cost $15,000, and offered to find something comparable.
Art of Play responded on Instagram, stating that the item Clarkson was interested in, a mechanical bird automaton named Molly, was permanently attached to the wall and served as a mascot, thus not for sale. The shop added that they offered to show her a different, comparable automaton for approximately $2,000, but she did not stay to see it.
One of the shop's owners, Adam Rubin, told the Daily Mail that Clarkson had turned an "an enormous misunderstanding" into an "abuse of power," and that the incident had led to doxxing of shopkeepers and neighbors.
On The View, Goldberg stated, "There are reasons, I’m sure. People had a bad day and maybe misheard, misunderstood, maybe misspoke. Who knows? But it’s done. It’s done." She added, "If you're not happy, then you find another groovy store. Find another place you feel is going to take care of you, because there are a lot of places you can shop."
Goldberg's comments drew attention due to a November 2024 incident where Holtermann's Bakery in Staten Island initially declined to take her business. Goldberg suggested at the time that the refusal was due to her political beliefs following the presidential election. However, Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella stated that the bakery was unable to fulfill the order because they were replacing their boiler and could not immediately commit to the actress's request. Fossella urged an apology to move past the situation, but Goldberg never publicly apologized.
Goldberg also commented on The View that the publicity from Clarkson's dispute might inspire her to visit the Brooklyn shop herself.