{"id":370576,"date":"2026-10-11T21:38:14","date_gmt":"2026-10-11T21:38:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/370576\/"},"modified":"2026-10-11T21:38:14","modified_gmt":"2026-10-11T21:38:14","slug":"kelly-clarkson-and-brooklyn-novelty-shop-owners-trade-barbs-in-pretty-woman-moment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/370576\/","title":{"rendered":"Kelly Clarkson and Brooklyn novelty shop owners trade barbs in ‘Pretty Woman’ moment"},"content":{"rendered":"

The owners of a popular Brooklyn novelty shop pushed back amid a wave of online vitriol Sunday after Kelly Clarkson claimed she\u2019d gotten the so-called \u201cPretty Woman\u201d treatment<\/a> during a recent visit, saying that the item the \u201cAmerican Idol\u201d star wanted to buy was the store\u2019s mascot, which wasn\u2019t for sale.<\/p>\n

The \u201cAmerican Idol\u201d winner and \u201cThe Voice\u201d judge said an employee at Art of Play on Atlantic Ave. in Brooklyn Heights had treated her as if she couldn\u2019t afford to shop there \u2014 much like Julia Roberts\u2019 character in the 1990 movie co-starring Richard Gere.<\/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<\/a> and was told he could find something comparable for me,\u201d Clarkson fumed on Twitter. \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\u2019 character in \u2018Pretty Woman.\u2019 For sure, check it out.\u201d<\/p>\n

The post was punctuated with a thumbs-down emoji.<\/p>\n

\"Art<\/p>\n

Julian Roberts-Grmela \/ NYDN<\/p>\n

Art of Play opened in Brooklyn Heights in 2024. (Julian Roberts-Grmela \/ NYDN)<\/p>\n

In the 1990 movie starring Julia Roberts and Richard Gere, Roberts\u2019 character, an escort named Vivian, returns to a boutique that snubbed her and chews out the sales clerk<\/a>\u00a0after acquiring high-end duds elsewhere.<\/p>\n

\u201cHi, do you remember me? I was in here yesterday [and] you wouldn\u2019t wait on me,\u201d Roberts\u2019 character said in the famous scene. \u201cYou work on commission, right? Big mistake. Big. Huge. I have to go shopping now!\u201d<\/p>\n

Vivian did not have X. Clarkson went bigger, expressing her ire online to her 8.8 million followers.<\/p>\n

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\u2019t afford it and was told he could find something comparable for me. Wow, dude. You\u2019re an idiot and just lost a\u2026<\/p>\n

\u2014 Kelly Clarkson (@kellyclarkson) October 10, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Art of Play first posted a review on its Instagram story on Sunday, indirectly refuting any notions of disrespect.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom the very first time I walked into @artofplay, I felt welcomed and treated with such genuine kindness<\/a>,\u201d the anonymous reviewer said in the post. \u201cI love discovering unique treasures and connecting with the wonderful people there.\u201d<\/p>\n

The review called the store \u201ca place that leaves you smiling and wanting to come back. I\u2019m already counting down the days until I return in two weeks.\u201d<\/p>\n

Similar support poured in from avid fans<\/a> of the store throughout the day, all posted to Art of Play\u2019s Instagram stories. The store\u2019s owners posted a response to Clarkson\u2019s complaint Sunday afternoon.<\/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 read a post on Art of Play\u2019s Instagram account. \u201cMolly is permanently attached to the wall and isn\u2019t for sale<\/a>. However, the negative experience Kelly described on (X) would resonate with anyone who has ever felt judged in a shop.\u201d<\/p>\n

The owners said everyone is \u201cequally welcome\u201d whether they\u2019re buying or browsing and that anyone who walks in is invited to \u201cpick things up and play.\u201d<\/p>\n

Molly functions as the store\u2019s mascot<\/a>, Art of Play noted in a February 2025 post with a hat tip to her creator, artist Blisd Kolb<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cImagine our surprise when our small local business was suddenly attacked by 8 million people who have never visited our store,\u201d the owners said in the Instagram story rebuttal. \u201cIt\u2019s been a surreal experience to be the focus of such widespread outrage after just one mention by a celebrity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Art of Play<\/a> opened in Brooklyn Heights in 2024, transplanted from San Diego by identical twin founders Dan and Dave Buck, according to the Brooklyn Paper in a profile.<\/p>\n

\"Art<\/p>\n

Julian Roberts-Grmela \/ NYDN<\/p>\n

Art of Play on Atlantic Ave. in Brooklyn sells eclectic games, puzzles, home goods, books, gift items, and collectible playing cards. (Julian Roberts-Grmela \/ NYDN)<\/p>\n

It sells eclectic games, puzzles, home goods, books, gift items, and collectible playing cards, and has an 18-seat theater. The store, \u201ca place to discover magic\u201d according to its logo, is more geared to adults than children, though its website says all ages are welcome to explore. The goal was to \u201ccreate an antidote to the mindless scroll<\/a>,\u201d children\u2019s book author and Art of Play partner Adam Rubin told Brooklyn Paper in 2024.<\/p>\n

Its higher-end home goods items include a Sisyphus Kinetic Art Table<\/a> for $4,100, a Yama Tower<\/a> that brews coffee Kyoto-style for $400, and a Hummingbird Flipbook Machine<\/a> that\u2019s $2,400. A number of \u201cPlayful Gifts<\/a>\u201d land in the below-$50 range.<\/p>\n

The store is known far outside New York City and is a destination for tourists such as 21-year-old customer Annie Qin, who told The News that Art of Play was \u201ca big reason\u201d she chose to visit the city. She said it had \u201cgreat vibes\u201d and \u201cvery friendly shopkeepers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Qin\u2019s love of poker brought her to the store for its unique playing card collection, she told The News as she shopped. It was her first time there, and she and her companions stayed for an hour and a half browsing the merchandise, then playing cards after the shopkeepers set them up with a table and makeshift poker chips.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe store is incredible,\u201d she said. \u201cI love it. Like, very friendly shopkeepers, awesome like things to look at. Yeah, great vibes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Given her positive takeaway, Qin called Clarkson\u2019s tweet \u201cextremely harsh,\u201d noting that it was \u201cdefinitely not my experience\u201d or that of her friends.<\/p>\n

The Grammy-winning former \u201cAmerican Idol\u201d contestant has lived in New York City with her two children since 2023, when she relocated<\/a> to give her kids a \u201cfresh start\u201d after divorcing husband Brandon Blackstock<\/a>. In February, she announced she would wrap her long-running \u201cThe Kelly Clarkson Show\u201d<\/a> with the seventh season at the end of this year, prioritizing her kids in the wake of Blackstock\u2019s death last year<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Art of Play\u2019s owners thanked supporters and welcomed \u201call the curious folks who have discovered us amidst the drama,\u201d in their statement.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re going to keep our heads down and hopefully, we can clear things up with Kelly someday,\u201d they said, finishing with a quote from the singer\u2019s own \u201cStronger (What Doesn\u2019t Kill You).\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a talented popular singer once said, \u2018What doesn\u2019t kill you makes you stronger.\u201d<\/p>\n

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