Clarkson, Brooklyn Shop Dispute $15,000 Singing Bird

Kelly Clarkson and Brooklyn retailer Art of Play have given conflicting accounts of a conversation about a mechanical singing bird and its $15,000 price, turning a shopping visit into a public dispute on social media. Clarkson said an employee made her feel she could not afford the merchandise and offered to find something comparable. The store said its display bird was not for sale and that the price referred to a similar machine owned by its creator. Neither account of the exchange has been independently verified in the supplied reporting. Clarkson described the visit in an October 10 post on X, saying she had gone to Art of Play intending to buy several items. She said she felt judged by an employee and compared the treatment to that of Julia Roberts’ character in the 1990 film Pretty Woman. In a follow-up post the next day, Clarkson said she pointed to a wall tag labeled “Singing Bird” and was told the bird was available for $15,000. She alleged the employee then offered to find a comparable item because of the price. Art of Play responded that Clarkson had asked about Molly, a singing and dancing bird automaton used in the shop’s magic shows.