A Brooklyn shop owner has accused Kelly Clarkson of putting his business and staff in danger after the singer publicly criticised her treatment during a shopping trip, claiming the fallout has led to threatening messages, online abuse and doxxing. Art of Play co-owner Adam Rubin has also revealed that the advertised price of a singing and dancing mechanical bird has soared from $15,000 to $15 million (£11,000 to £11 million) following the controversy.
Rubin, one of the three owners of the New York City curiosity shop, described the dispute as an 'insane misunderstanding' in an interview with New York magazine published on Tuesday, 13 October. He alleged that the backlash following Clarkson's posts had escalated beyond criticism of the business, affecting employees and people living nearby.
Art of Play co-owner Adam Rubin speaks to USA Today at his store following Kelly Clarkson’s viral criticism of his store:
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) October 14, 2026
“Kelly Clarkson put us in danger.” pic.twitter.com/UD1ppJGMcr
Shop Owner Claims Clarkson Feud Has Put Staff in Danger
Rubin alleged that the shop had received threatening phone calls and emails, while negative reviews flooded multiple platforms. He also claimed that people had filmed and doxxed his neighbours, and that hateful messages and threats of violence had appeared on the shop's payment iPad while employees were serving customers.
The owner said the fallout had made it harder for the business to operate normally, with genuine customers struggling to get through amid the volume of messages. He blamed the escalation on Clarkson using her public platform to criticise the shop, although his allegations do not establish that the singer personally encouraged anyone to threaten or target the business or its neighbours.
Why the Mechanical Bird Now Has a $15M Price Tag
“The shop has since increased the price from $15,000 to $15 million. "We've raised the price due to popular demand," Rubin said.” https://t.co/FmdbIeQ8TE
— Miss Indepodcast (@missindepodcast) October 13, 2026
At the centre of the dispute is Molly, a singing and dancing bird automaton that Art of Play says is permanently attached to the wall and serves as a fixture in its magic shows. The shop previously explained that its creator, Seattle-based artist Bliss Kolb, owned a nearly identical automaton that could be sold for $15,000.
Rubin told New York magazine that interest in the bird had surged following the controversy, prompting the shop to raise its advertised price dramatically. 'As you've noticed, we've raised the price due to popular demand. It now costs $15 million,' he said.
The new asking price is 1,000 times the original $15,000 figure, although there is no indication that the bird has sold for that amount or that the price reflects an independently established valuation. The shop initially maintained that Molly itself was not for sale because it was permanently attached to the wall, making Rubin's subsequent comments about the $15 million price a notable shift in its public position.
The 'Pretty Woman' Treatment
The row began on 10 October when Clarkson, 44, took to X to complain about her experience at Art of Play. The singer said she had driven to Brooklyn hoping to buy several items but felt she was treated as though she could not afford what she wanted, comparing the encounter to Julia Roberts' character in the 1990 film 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. Wow, dude. You’re an idiot and just lost a…
— Kelly Clarkson (@kellyclarkson) October 10, 2026
In the film, Roberts plays Vivian Ward, who is treated dismissively by a salesperson at an upscale clothing boutique. Clarkson claimed that when she asked about buying Molly, an employee told her the bird cost $15,000 before offering to find her something comparable, which she interpreted as condescending.
Art of Play disputed her account, saying Molly was permanently attached to the wall and was not for sale. The shop also claimed it offered Clarkson a different singing-bird automaton, priced at approximately $2,000, that she could have taken home that day.
Clarkson hit back by sharing a photograph of the $15,000 price tag and accusing the shop of lying about their conversation. She also defended her decision to speak publicly, saying that supporting small businesses did not mean customers should accept being treated poorly.
Cool, cool. Sure, it wasn’t for sale. That’s the narrative Art of Play is gonna go with 👍 so the whole conversation we had when I asked you if it was for sale whilst pointing to the price tag hanging on the wall with the title Singing Bird didn’t happen as you elevator eyed me… pic.twitter.com/9PEhUWnIOt
— Kelly Clarkson (@kellyclarkson) October 11, 2026
Newly surfaced security footage of the visit, shared by journalist Pablo Torre on Tuesday, 13 October, shows Clarkson interacting with a shop employee before gesturing towards him and leaving. However, the silent clip cannot establish what was said during their disputed exchange or independently confirm either party's account of the conversation.
THE KELLY CLARKSON STORE VIDEO IS OUT 💀 pic.twitter.com/M0hvquAeNx
— Erika (@erikaxtc) October 14, 2026
The dispute has since escalated into a public battle over the singer's treatment, the shop's response and the alleged consequences of online backlash, with the bird's $15 million asking price becoming an unlikely symbol of the feud.
