A Brooklyn curiosity shop is facing backlash after singer Kelly Clarkson accused the store of treating her condescendingly during a visit, prompting a public back-and-forth over a $15,000 singing bird automaton.

Clarkson took to social media on Oct. 10 to criticize Art of Play, a toy, puzzle and game shop in Brooklyn Heights, after she said she drove to the store hoping to purchase several items but felt judged by an employee.

“Wow, dude. You’re an idiot and just lost a huge sale,” Clarkson wrote, encouraging her followers to visit the shop if they wanted to be treated “like Julia Roberts character in Pretty Woman.”

The store responded the following day, acknowledging Clarkson’s experience while disputing the circumstances surrounding the interaction.

Just 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’t afford it and was told he could find something comparable for me. Wow, dude. You’re an idiot and just lost a huge sale. But y’all should go check out Art of Play in Brooklyn if you enjoy being treated like Julia Roberts character in Pretty Woman. For sure, check it out 👎

— Kelly Clarkson (@kellyclarkson) October 10, 2026

According to Art of Play, Clarkson visited the shop on Saturday and asked about purchasing “Molly,” a singing and dancing mechanical bird that serves as a fixture in the store’s magic shows.

The shop said the bird is permanently attached to the wall and is not for sale. However, the business acknowledged that the experience Clarkson described would resonate with anyone who has felt judged while shopping.

“At Art of Play whether someone comes in to make a purchase or simply look around for a while, they are equally welcome,” the store wrote in its Oct. 11 statement.

The business also described the sudden attention as surreal, saying it had been “attacked by eight million people who have never visited our store” following Clarkson’s post.

But Clarkson was not satisfied with that explanation.

 

In a follow-up post on Oct. 11, the singer disputed the store’s account, saying an employee had told her the bird was for sale for $15,000 before offering to find her something comparable.

Clarkson said she pointed to a price tag hanging on the wall labeled “Singing Bird” during the exchange. She also accused the employee of looking her up and down and speaking to her condescendingly.

“So you’re not only rude, you’re also a liar,” Clarkson wrote in response to the store’s claim that the bird was not for sale.

She added that she supports small businesses and had visited Art of Play intending to buy something, but argued that being a small business does not excuse treating customers poorly.

“It’s not that hard to be kind,” she wrote, while acknowledging that the store itself was “really cool.”

Art of Play issued another statement later Oct. 11, providing additional details about the mechanical bird and its explanation for the interaction.

The shop said Clarkson spent approximately five minutes inside and asked about Molly, explaining that a nearly identical automaton belongs to its creator, Seattle-based artist Bliss Kolb, who was willing to sell the twin for $15,000.

According to the store, staff explained the distinction between the bird displayed in the shop and the one available for purchase. The business also said it offered to show Clarkson another singing bird automaton, made by a traditional clockmaking shop in Germany, that she could take home that day for approximately $2,000.

The store said Clarkson left before viewing the alternative.

Art of Play added that it had reached out to Clarkson directly in an attempt to resolve the dispute.

“We really do wish her the best and hope that someday we can all laugh about this misunderstanding,” the business wrote.

Neither Art of Play nor Kelly Clarkson immediately responded to requests for further comment.