Kelly Clarkson’s brief visit to Brooklyn novelty store, Art of Play, is lighting up the internet and it’s all eyes on $15,000 singing bird at the center of the controversy.
On Saturday, Clarkson took to Twitter to inform her fans that she “just drove all the way to Brooklyn to check out this store I thought looked really rad” and, despite having some items in mind to purchase, the singer said she was “literally was looked at as if I couldn’t afford it.”
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“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,” Clarkson added.
The next day, Art of Play responded with an Instagram post providing more background information about the item that appeared to have caught Clarkson’s eye during what the store said was a five-minute visit, which was a mechanical yellow bird (pictured below) mounted on the wall of the store.
According to Art of Play, the bird, Molly, is a “one-of-a-kind singing and dancing bird automaton who plays an important role in the magic shows we host here” and is not for sale, according to the store.
If you’re wondering what all the fuss is about, Molly has appeared in several Instagram posts shared by the store, including a February 2025 post.
Molly is also featured in a post from September that is pinned at the top of Art of Play’s Instagram. Molly appears next to the words, “Our favorite items not for sale.” However, the claim that the store isn’t selling Molly only sparked more backlash from Clarkson.
“Cool, cool. Sure, it wasn’t for sale,” Clarkson posted to Twitter after Art of Play’s response. “That’s the narrative Art of Play is gonna go with. So the whole conversation we had when I asked you if it was for sale whilst pointing to the price tag hanging on the wall with the title Singing Bird didn’t happen as you elevator eyed me saying in a condescending tone, ‘yes, it’s for sale but it costs 15,000 dollars so if you’d like me to find something comparable for you I can.’ That all never happened and now it’s not for sale.”
Clarkson’s post included an undated photo that appeared to show a $15,000 price tag posted on the wall next to the bird. The American Idol champ quipped, “you’re not only rude, you’re also a liar. Got it.”
After Clarkson threw another stone, Art of Play’s hopes that the scandal would drift away were dashed. Late on Sunday, the store posted another statement to its Instagram account with “one additional detail,” claiming that during the interaction, the staff member offered Clarkson a “nearly identical” that she could buy directly from Seattle-based artist, Bliss Kolb, who designed Molly. “He told us he would be willing to part with Molly’s twin for $15,000. We explained all of this to Kelly Clarkson,” the statement read.
On top of that, they offered up “a different singing bird automaton, made by a traditional clockmaking shop in Germany, that she could have taken home with her that day,” the store added in their post, noting the singer didn’t stay to see that $2,000 piece.
No word from Clarkson yet, but if you’re thirsty for more celebrity feuds, we have plenty more below.
Before you go, click here to see the celebrity feuds that will go down in history.
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