She really wanted that bird.
Kelly Clarkson has to be up there as one of the most beloved celebrities in the world at this point. The former American Idol winner, singer and talk show host has a reputation as one of the nicest people in the business, along with having maybe the greatest voice in the country.
Which is why it was so shocking this weekend when America’s Sweetheart took to social media over the weekend to call out a Brooklyn boutique after they gave her what she called the Pretty Woman treatment.
According to Kelly, employees of the store Art of Play looked at her “as if she couldn’t afford” whatever it was she wanted to buy, and offered something cheaper instead:
“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 huge sale. 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.”
Because this was so out of character for Kelly, and because she’s built up a reputation for being such a nice person, people quickly began taking her side and jumping on the store for their treatment of the “Since U Been Gone” singer. But the store responded yesterday with their side of the story, disputing Kelly’s characterization.
According to the store, Clarkson wanted to buy a mechanical bird named Molly that was hanging on their wall. But the store says that Molly is a display piece and not for sale, so they offered to help her find something similar instead:
“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. Molly is permanently attached to the wall and isn’t for sale. However, the negative experience Kelly described on twitter would resonate with anyone who has ever felt judged in a shop.
At Art of Play whether someone comes in to make a purchase or simply look around for a while, they are equally welcome. We greet everyone who walks in the door with the invitation to “pick things up and play.” And they do, many stay for hours enjoying our puzzles, games and toys.
Imagine our surprise when our small local business was suddenly attacked by 8 million people who have never visited our store. It’s been a surreal experience to be the focus of such widespread outrage after just one mention by a celebrity.
Thanks to all our friends for their support and welcome to all the curious folks who have discovered us amidst the drama. We’re going to keep our heads down and hopefully, we can clear things up with Kelly someday. As a talented popular singer once said “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger””
So that’s the end of it, right? It was just a big misunderstanding.
Well, not quite. Apparently Kelly REALLY isn’t happy.
After the store’s post, videos of Molly the bird began going around on social media – and as some pointed out, there’s a price tag hanging beside it for a $15,000 “Singing Bird.”
And Clarkson quickly jumped back online to respond to the store’s statement, claiming she was told the bird was for sale but was still offered something cheaper:
“Cool, cool. Sure, it wasn’t for sale. That’s the narrative Art of Play is gonna go with. [S]o 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 saying in a condescending tone “yes, it’s for sale but it costs 15,000 dollars so if you’d like me to find something comparable for you I can.” That all never happened and now it’s not for sale. Okay, cool. So you’re not only rude, you’re also a liar. Got it.
And by the way, I obviously support small businesses because I was literally at a small business trying to purchase things. I love small businesses and know they are important and I always support them, but you don’t get a free pass to treat people less than in your store just because you are a small business. It’s not that hard to be kind. I never blast people but you my friend were an exception.
Your store is really cool.
Unfortunately, you aren’t.”
And the store once again attempted the clarify that the price tag is for a “nearly identical” piece that was for sale from the same artist, and that they also offered her another singing bird that was significantly cheaper but that she wasn’t interested.
“We’d like to clarify some additional details about Kelly Clarkson’s visit to our Curiosity Shop on Saturday.
During the 5 minutes she spent in the store, she inquired about our mechanical bird puppet named Molly. We explained that while Molly is permanently attached to the wall and serves as a de facto mascot for our shop, a nearly identical automaton is owned by the creator of the machines, a brilliant artist named Bliss Kolb who lives in Seattle. He told us he would be willing to part with Molly’s twin for $15,000. We explained all of this to Kelly Clarkson.
We also offered to show her a different singing bird automaton, made by a traditional clockmaking shop in Germany, that she could have taken home with her that day. It costs about $2,000. She did not stick around long enough to see it.
We’ve reached out to Kelly directly to try and clear the air. We really do wish her the best and hope that someday we can all laugh about this misunderstanding.”
So who’s right here? Obviously there are only a couple of people who know the real story, but the store admits that they did offer Clarkson something cheaper – though they also claim they offered her a “twin” of the piece that she wanted.
But it does seem odd that, for the first time in her 20-year career, Kelly took to social media to put a business on blast for treating her poorly. Maybe it’s a big misunderstanding, or maybe they really did give her the Pretty Woman treatment.
Either way, I feel like the real lesson here is never pay $15,000 for a mechanical bird.
