Kelly Clarkson’s dispute with a Brooklyn specialty store has taken a bizarre turn. The store’s co-owner has declared that the bird automaton now costs $15 million. The controversy surfaced after Clarkson complained about being dismissed while shopping at Art of Play. She compared the experience to a scene from Pretty Woman.
Art of Play owner lists Molly the bird for $15 million amid Kelly Clarkson feud
Clarkson, 44, took to X to express her frustration over the conflict. She said she was made to feel that she could not afford an item she wanted. Art of Play explained that she had asked about Molly, a one-of-a-kind singing and dancing bird automaton created by artist Bliss Kolb.
The shop also defended itself, saying that Molly was permanently attached to the wall and was not for sale. Clarkson, however, shared an image showing a $15,000 price tag. This raised questions about the store’s explanation.
Speaking to New York magazine on Oct. 13, co-owner Adam Rubin described the incident as a misunderstanding.
“This is an insane misunderstanding. Nothing happened in this shop to justify her scolding our shopkeeper on the way out, but I can let that go. You know, everybody has a bad day. But things changed when she used her platform to attack us. It’s asymmetrical social warfare,” Rubin said.
He explained that the store worked directly with artisans. Rubin also stated that they would contact Kolb if someone was seriously considering purchasing Molly.
“So many people asked about it that we had put a price on it, but we talked to the creator when he came to fix the machine, and if someone showed serious interest, we would reach out to him about getting them an automaton. As you’ve noticed, we’ve raised the price due to popular demand. It now costs $15 million,” Rubin said.
Meanwhile, a source told People that Clarkson was particularly upset by the incident.
“She couldn’t keep quiet about it. Everyone is surprised by how much this whole thing has escalated,” the source said.
