Rubin said neither he nor his staff recognised Clarkson when she visited but insisted customers, whether celebrities, children or casual visitors, are treated identically.
The latest comments mark an escalation in the public dispute, which began when Clarkson claimed on social media that a staff member looked her up and down before suggesting a cheaper alternative, leaving her feeling judged on her ability to pay.
The American Idol winner wrote on X: “If you enjoy being treated like Julia Roberts’ character in Pretty Woman. For sure, check it out.”
In the film, Roberts’ character is humiliated in a luxury Beverly Hills clothing store by employees who judge her on her looks.
The store then defended itself, saying there had been a misunderstanding, but Clarkson later doubled down, accusing the store of lying about what happened during the interaction.
Rubin rejected suggestions that the employee had acted improperly and accused Clarkson of exposing a small business to intense public backlash.
“She threw a Molotov cocktail into our store,” he told the New York Post.
According to Rubin, the fallout has gone past negative online reviews, with supporters of Clarkson allegedly targeting neighbouring businesses and individuals associated with the store.
The dispute centres on “Molly”, a singing and dancing mechanical bird displayed in the shop. The store has previously said the item was not for sale because it forms part of its in-house magic shows.
Clarkson had posted a photograph that appeared to show a US$15,000 price tag beside the mechanical bird.
It’s unclear if the price was a joke or if it was the amount it would cost to order a similar item from the manufacturer.
However, Rubin told the New York Post the toy bird was now for sale but he had upped the price to US$15 million.
“If somebody walks into the shop with $15 million [$26m], they can take the thing off the wall and enjoy it in their home,” he said.
The store has previously said it hopes to resolve the dispute with the singer, but both sides remain at odds over what happened inside the Brooklyn shop.
The dispute may not be over yet. Pulitzer-winning journalist Pablo Torre has announced on social media that he has obtained CCTV footage of Clarkson in the store and will be releasing the footage on his show tonight.