{"id":928955,"date":"2026-10-15T10:56:22","date_gmt":"2026-10-15T10:56:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/928955\/"},"modified":"2026-10-15T10:56:22","modified_gmt":"2026-10-15T10:56:22","slug":"art-of-play-new-york-shop-makes-15-million-move-in-kelly-clarkson-saga","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/928955\/","title":{"rendered":"Art of Play: New York shop makes $15 million move in Kelly Clarkson saga"},"content":{"rendered":"

A New York novelty shop has made its latest move in an ongoing feud with Kelly Clarkson<\/a>, listing the mechanical bird at the centre of the saga for sale at an eye-watering US$15 million ($22.5 million).<\/p>\n

Art of Play was adamant that Molly the mechanical bird was not for sale when Clarkson first enquired about the artwork in store, but it seems the store\u2019s owners have changed their mind. <\/p>\n

\"Kelly<\/p>\n

Kelly Clarkson is caught in a social media furore after taking aim at Brooklyn shop.\u00a0Getty Images for Critics Choice<\/p>\n

One of the co-owners of the shop, Adam Rubin, confirmed to US media that Molly is now on sale for $US15 million. <\/p>\n

Rubin explained to NBC news that if the bird manages to sell at that price, he would give each of his employees a $15,000 bonus and send $1 million to the artist who crafted Molly. <\/p>\n

He also claimed the shop would build a display in honour of the mechanical bird with the profits. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s the most recent development in the online feud between Clarkson and Art of Play. It all started after the Piece by Piece singer claimed she endured an embarrassing Pretty Woman<\/a> moment in the store, publishing a scathing review accusing staff of treating her like she \u201ccouldn\u2019t afford\u201d its products.<\/p>\n

The American Idol winner posted about her bad shopping experience on X<\/a> last Saturday. <\/p>\n

\u201cJust drove all the way to Brooklyn to check out this store I thought looked really rad and had a few things in mind to buy and literally was looked at as if I couldn\u2019t afford it and was told he could find something comparable for me,\u201d Clarkson said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWow, dude. You\u2019re an idiot and just lost a huge sale. But y\u2019all should go check out Art of Play in Brooklyn if you enjoy being treated like Julia Roberts<\/a>\u2019 character in Pretty Woman.\u201d<\/p>\n

After being bombarded by negative reviews, the store posted a statement<\/a> addressing Clarkson\u2019s claims on social media.<\/p>\n

\u201cYesterday, Kelly Clarkson visited us in Brooklyn and inquired about buying \u2018Molly,\u2019 a one-of-a-kind singing and dancing bird automaton who plays an important role in the magic shows we host here,\u201d the statement said.<\/p>\n

\u201cMolly is permanently attached to the wall and isn\u2019t for sale.\u201d<\/p>\n

In a pinned Instagram post from September, Art of Play had posted a photo of Molly as part of a post titled \u201cOur favourite items are not for sale\u201d.<\/p>\n

The pair then went back and forth, with Clarkson accusing the shop of lying about the interaction, claiming she was told her the artwork was for sale.<\/p>\n

\u201cCool, cool. Sure, it wasn\u2019t for sale. That\u2019s the narrative Art of Play is gonna go with,\u201d she wrote on X<\/a>, alongside a photo that appeared to show the bird with a $US15,000 ($21,558) price tag.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo the whole conversation we had when I asked you if it was for sale while pointing to the price tag hanging on the wall with the title Singing Bird didn\u2019t happen as you elevator-eyed me saying in a condescending tone, \u2018Yes, it\u2019s for sale, but it costs $15,000 so if you\u2019d like me to find something comparable for you, I can\u2019,\u201d Clarkson wrote.<\/p>\n

\"FILE<\/p>\n

Clarkson and the store have gone back and forth for days. \u00a0Getty<\/p>\n

\u201cThat all never happened and now it\u2019s not for sale. Okay, cool. So you\u2019re not only rude, you\u2019re also a liar. Got it.\u201d<\/p>\n

The shop hit back, trying to explain the miscommunication and doubling down on the fact that they explained to Clarkson that \u201ca nearly identical automaton is owned by the creator of the machines, a brilliant artist named Bliss Kolb.\u201d <\/p>\n

They went on to say the artist told the store he would be \u201cwilling to part with Molly\u2019s twin for $15,000.\u201d <\/p>\n

The feud had set the internet alight, with fans picking sides and trying to decipher what really went down between the store and Clarkson. <\/p>\n