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Kelly Clarkson sparks row over singing bird as Brooklyn store owner breaks silence: 'getting attacked'
Kelly Clarkson took to X on Saturday to recount her negative experience at the Art of Play store to her nearly 8 million followers.
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Art of Play, a specialty store on Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn, has attracted widespread attention in recent days following a controversy involving singer Kelly Clarkson.
Clarkson took to X on Saturday to recount her negative experience at the store to her nearly 8 million followers. She said she had visited hoping to purchase an item but was abruptly informed that it was not for sale.
Art of Play co-owner addresses Clarkson controversy
Adam Rubin, co-owner of Brooklyn’s Art of Play, has since responded to the criticism and online reaction the store has faced following its public disagreement with Kelly Clarkson.
“Nothing happened in this shop to justify her scolding our shopkeeper on the way out, but I can let that go. You know, everybody has a bad day,” Rubin told Curbed in an interview published on Tuesday.
The co-owner called the episode an “insane misunderstanding.”
Co-owner details on facing threats
He alleged that the shop and individuals associated with the business have received threats and experienced harassment since the singer shared her dissatisfaction with her visit.
“Kelly Clarkson has put us in danger. People are getting threatened on the street, and the worst part is we didn’t know this was going to happen but Kelly Clarkson did. Anyone who expresses admiration, positivity, or sympathy for Art of Play is getting attacked by trolls,” Rubin described the fallout after the dispute gained widespread public attention.
Rubin said Art of Play has been inundated with calls, emails and unfavorable reviews on multiple platforms. He also alleged that some people have visited the store to confront employees, while online users have circulated personal information about neighbors who recorded the incident.
“We turned off the phone, but all day long, these comments come up on the point-of-sale iPad while we’re ringing people up. There’s so much hate speech, so many threats of violence,” he revealed.
Rubin added that the volume of abusive messages and threats has made it difficult for the business to communicate with genuine customers. He explained that anyone trying to contact the store could struggle to get through because of the ongoing harassment.
What happened during Clarkson’s store visit
The dispute started on Saturday, October 10, when Kelly Clarkson took to X to criticize Art of Play after visiting its Brooklyn location. The singer said she felt she had been treated as though she could not afford the item she wanted, likening the encounter to Julia Roberts’ character in Pretty Woman.
Store offered its version of events
The shop later shared its version of events on social media, challenging Clarkson’s account and identifying the item she had asked about as Molly, a mechanical singing bird. Art of Play explained that the automaton is fixed to a wall and serves as part of the magic performances held at the store.
The store further claimed that a similar automaton belonging to Kolb was available for $15,000. An employee had also reportedly offered to show Clarkson another singing-bird automaton made by a German clockmaking company, priced at around $2,000.
Rubin said in the Curbed interview that the store was busy when Clarkson stopped by and that her visit lasted less than five minutes. According to Art of Play, Clarkson left the shop before the employee could show her the alternative item.
According to Rubin, the store assigned a price to Molly after receiving repeated inquiries about the automaton. However, he explained that obtaining another one would require contacting its creator. He also said the price had been increased to $15,000 in response to growing demand.
