Raven-Symoné came to Kelly Clarkson’s defense after the singer’s dispute with Brooklyn store Art of Play went viral. During the October 14 episode of The View, Raven argued that Clarkson had every right to describe how the shopping experience made her feel.
The actress also connected Clarkson’s situation to a controversy from her own past. Raven recalled facing public pushback after she said she felt disrespected at a red carpet event involving Kendall Jenner.
Raven-Symoné defends Kelly Clarkson on The View and recalls her Kendall Jenner red-carpet controversy
“I think that it is unfair that just because she has that many followers she’s not allowed to express how she feels about what happened to her,” Raven said.
Clarkson had recently accused Art of Play of treating her like Julia Roberts’ character in Pretty Woman. She had wanted to purchase an animatronic bird named Molly. According to Clarkson’s account, the store told her that the bird was not for sale and offered to locate something similar.
The Molly animatronic bird originally carried a $15,000 price tag. The store later raised the listed price to $15 million amid the controversy.
As the debate grew, Raven said people should not dismiss Clarkson’s personal interpretation of the interaction. She compared it with the backlash she faced in 2016. At the time, Raven said she felt pushed aside at the Zoolander 2 premiere to make room for Jenner.
“Our experience about the situation may not resonate with you the same way it resonated with me,” Raven said. “You don’t know my past, you don’t know what I’ve been through.”
Raven then pointed to Clarkson’s financial background before she found fame through American Idol. She suggested that conversations about whether someone could afford an item might affect people differently depending on their experiences.
Raven also said she had watched security footage from the store. She argued that staff should not make assumptions about any customer’s finances.
The That’s So Raven alum pushed back even harder after Art of Play co-owner Adam Rubin said Clarkson’s viral post had put the business and its workers in danger.
“Kelly put you in danger? Kelly didn’t … that’s the internet,” Raven said.
As per Us Magazine, she stressed that Clarkson had not told anyone to target the store.
“She didn’t send a mob out to you,” Raven added. “The mob was already on the internet, ready to retaliate.”
Raven’s comments ultimately focused on Clarkson’s right to share how she experienced the interaction, even if others interpreted the encounter differently.
