A Brooklyn shop at the center of a viral complaint from Kelly Clarkson has responded publicly, saying the singer was turned down because she wanted to buy an item that isn’t for sale, not because staff judged her.
The store, Art of Play, posted its response on X after Clarkson shared her account of a visit to the shop over the weekend.
“Yesterday, Kelly Clarkson visited us in Brooklyn and inquired about buying ‘Molly,’ a one-of-a-kind singing and dancing bird automaton who plays an important role in the magic shows we host here,” the store wrote. “Molly is permanently attached to the wall and isn’t for sale.”
Clarkson had described her visit in starkly different terms, comparing it to Julia Roberts’ experience of being snubbed by salespeople in “Pretty Woman.”
“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’t afford it and was told he could find something comparable for me,” Clarkson wrote.
She went on to address what appeared to be a specific staff member directly: “Wow, dude. You’re an idiot and just lost a huge sale.”
Clarkson, who has 8.8 million followers on X, closed her post with a pointed recommendation: “But y’all should go check out Art of Play in Brooklyn if you enjoy being treated like Julia Roberts character in Pretty Woman. For sure, check it out.”
The shop, in its response, said it treats all visitors the same regardless of whether they make a purchase. “At Art of Play, whether someone comes in to make a purchase or simply look around for a while, they are equally welcome,” the store said, adding that customers often “stay for hours enjoying our puzzles, games and toys.”
Before issuing that statement, the shop had briefly posted, then deleted, reviews praising its staff’s “kindness.”
Owners said they were unprepared for the backlash that followed Clarkson’s post, describing themselves as “suddenly attacked by 8 million people who have never visited our store.” They called it “a surreal experience to be the focus of such widespread outrage after just one mention by a celebrity.”
The store thanked supporters and closed its statement with a nod to one of Clarkson’s own songs. “We’re going to keep our heads down and hopefully we can clear things up with Kelly someday,” the shop wrote. “As a talented popular singer once said ‘what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.'”
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