{"id":372636,"date":"2026-10-14T04:10:59","date_gmt":"2026-10-14T04:10:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/372636\/"},"modified":"2026-10-14T04:10:59","modified_gmt":"2026-10-14T04:10:59","slug":"kelly-clarkson-has-put-us-in-danger-brooklyn-store-owner-claims-as-birds-price-tag-soars-to-15m","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/372636\/","title":{"rendered":"Kelly Clarkson \u2018has put us in danger,\u2019 Brooklyn store owner claims as bird\u2019s price tag soars to $15M"},"content":{"rendered":"

Kelly Clarkson\u2019s<\/a> public clash with a Brooklyn shop has left its owner concerned about more than a lost sale.<\/p>\n

Adam Rubin, co-owner of Art of Play<\/a> and a children\u2019s author, spoke with Fox News Digital inside the Brooklyn store Tuesday morning, claiming the singer has put his business in danger after their viral dispute over a $15,000 mechanical singing bird.<\/p>\n

The bird at the center of the controversy now has a staggering $15 million price tag.<\/p>\n

KELLY CLARKSON SLAMS BROOKLYN STORE OVER \u2018PRETTY WOMAN\u2019 TREATMENT<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cBut I am afraid for the safety of our shop. Kelly Clarkson has put us in danger,\u201d Rubin told Fox News Digital.<\/p>\n

Rubin claimed the backlash has extended beyond angry comments online, with people associated with the business allegedly facing threats and having their personal information exposed.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve got incredible support from our neighbors and fans over the past few days, and all of them have been attacked, threatened, doxed,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

LIKE WHAT YOU\u2019RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS<\/a><\/p>\n

Rubin also accused Clarkson of an \u201cabuse of power,\u201d arguing that the singer\u2019s enormous platform has intensified the backlash against his small business<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Rubin argued that Clarkson\u2019s celebrity status carries a responsibility.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can\u2019t just try to squash somebody like a bug and expect everybody to give you a pass,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Rubin also questioned why strangers would go to such lengths to attack a small business on behalf of a celebrity, expressing frustration that people who had never visited his store<\/a> were joining the backlash.<\/p>\n

The mechanical bird that sparked the dispute has also undergone a dramatic price change.<\/p>\n

A photograph taken Tuesday by Fox News Digital shows a new sign beside Molly identifying the bird as a creation of artist Bliss Kolb, with an eye-popping price of $15 million.<\/p>\n

The sign describes Molly as \u201cThe world\u2019s most famous singing bird automata!\u201d and lists its price as \u201c$15,000,000.\u201d<\/p>\n

The new figure is 1,000 times the original $15,000 price at the center of Clarkson\u2019s complaint.<\/p>\n

Art of Play previously explained in a public statement that the original $15,000 figure referred to a nearly identical automaton available from artist Bliss Kolb, while Molly herself is permanently attached to the wall and serves as a fixture in the store\u2019s magic performances.<\/p>\n

PUT YOUR ENTERTAINMENT KNOWLEDGE TO THE TEST AND SEE HOW YOU SCORE<\/a><\/p>\n

Rubin also addressed the dramatic price change during his conversation with Fox News Digital, pointing to the attention Molly has received since Clarkson\u2019s visit.<\/p>\n

He described the new figure as a matter of \u201csupply and demand,\u201d while the store has maintained that the bird is not for sale.<\/p>\n

Rubin suggested Molly\u2019s sudden notoriety has made her one of the most recognizable mechanical birds in the world.<\/p>\n

The new sign offers a striking contrast to the original $15,000 price tag that Clarkson cited in her complaint.<\/p>\n

The price change adds another twist to a dispute that began Saturday when Clarkson visited the Brooklyn shop and later accused an employee of treating her as though she couldn\u2019t afford its merchandise.<\/p>\n

KELLY CLARKSON\u2019S STORE CALLOUT SHOWS THE \u2018POWER\u2019 OF CELEBRITY STATEMENTS: EXPERT<\/a><\/p>\n

Clarkson initially took to social media to describe what she considered a humiliating shopping experience, comparing her treatment to Julia Roberts\u2019 character in the 1990 film \u201cPretty Woman.\u201d<\/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 wrote.<\/p>\n

\u201cWow, dude. You\u2019re an idiot and just lost a huge sale.\u201d<\/p>\n

The singer later doubled down on her account after Art of Play disputed her version of events.<\/p>\n

Clarkson maintained that she had pointed to a $15,000 price tag and was told the bird was available for purchase, but that an employee suggested finding her something comparable.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo you\u2019re not only rude, you\u2019re also a liar. Got it,\u201d Clarkson wrote in a follow-up post.<\/p>\n

Art of Play has maintained that the encounter was a misunderstanding.<\/p>\n

In its public response, the store explained that Molly is a permanent fixture in the shop and that employees had offered Clarkson the opportunity to purchase a similar bird from its creator.<\/p>\n

KELLY CLARKSON SAYS \u2018AMERICAN IDOL\u2019 PRODUCERS \u2018LIED\u2019 ABOUT $1M PRIZE<\/a><\/p>\n

The business also said another singing bird automaton, priced at approximately $2,000, was available.<\/p>\n

For Rubin, however, the controversy has become much more personal than a disagreement over an unusual piece of merchandise.<\/p>\n

During his conversation with Fox News Digital, the co-owner revealed that he had recently undergone a medical procedure and was not supposed to be working.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not even supposed to be here today. I got a cancer removed from my face last week,\u201d Rubin said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m getting the stitches out tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rubin said his concern about the store\u2019s safety was the reason he came in despite recovering from the procedure.<\/p>\n

The co-owner also wanted to explain what Art of Play represents beyond the dispute that has suddenly brought it national attention.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a curiosity shop,\u201d Rubin told Fox News Digital.<\/p>\n

He described a business built around objects intended to inspire curiosity, including spinning tops, kaleidoscopes, puzzles, games and playing cards.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd the reason this place exists is to make people feel like a kid again,\u201d Rubin said.<\/p>\n

GET ENTERTAINMENT SCOOP DELIVERED RIGHT TO YOUR EMAIL BY CLICKING HERE<\/a><\/p>\n

The business began online before operating a small location in San Diego. Rubin said the Brooklyn shop opened approximately two years ago.<\/p>\n

Rubin, who is also a children\u2019s book author and magician, has spent years working in the world of illusion and performance.<\/p>\n

The Brooklyn store also houses a small theater that hosts close-up magic performances, with Molly serving as the opening act, according to Rubin. Art of Play has previously maintained that the bird is permanently attached to the wall and was not available for purchase.<\/p>\n

Despite the public dispute, Rubin said Clarkson would still be welcome back at the shop.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe messaged her. I don\u2019t know if she saw it. I don\u2019t know if she cares,\u201d Rubin said.<\/p>\n

Fox News Digital reached out to a representative for Clarkson for comment.<\/p>\n

Fox News Digital\u2019s Janelle Ash and Christina Dugan-Ramirez contributed to this report.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Kelly Clarkson\u2019s public clash with a Brooklyn shop has left its owner concerned about more than a lost…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":372637,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[98,100,99,9,24,63],"class_list":["post-372636","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-brooklyn","tag-brooklyn","tag-brooklyn-headlines","tag-brooklyn-news","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-city","tag-nyc"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/372636","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=372636"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/372636\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/372637"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=372636"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=372636"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=372636"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}