Kelly Clarkson has continued to criticise a Brooklyn store, claiming she was blocked from buying a £11,300 singing and dancing bird automaton. The singer and talk show host said Art of Play treated her like the "Julia Roberts character in Pretty Woman" during the encounter.
18-hour trip and alleged refusal
The American Idol winner reportedly drove 18 hours to visit the store, which she thought looked like a "rad" shop. She had allegedly been trying to purchase a unique singing and dancing bird, but was stopped by the owner, who claimed the item was never for sale.
After Clarkson shared her negative experience publicly, the store posted a statement on Instagram saying they were "suddenly attacked by 8 million people who have never visited our store". The statement added: "It’s been a surreal experience to be the focus of such widespread outrage after just one mention by a celebrity."
Clarkson's 'proof' and rebuttal
The store's statement ended with a mocking line from one of her songs, saying: "As a talented popular singer once said 'what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger'."
Clarkson pushed back and showed evidence that the one-of-a-kind singing and dancing bird automaton was indeed for sale. Taking to her Instagram Stories, she shared "proof" the item was available for $15,000 (£11,300). She said: "Cool, cool. Sure, it wasn’t for sale. That’s the narrative Art of Play is gonna go with."
She went on to explain the situation further, saying: "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 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."
Store's response and final word
She added: "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."
In response, the store again tried to clarify the situation, claiming they had 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". After saying it cost about $2,000, they said: "She did not stick around long enough to see it."
The store concluded by saying they have reached out to Clarkson to "clear the air", adding "we really do wish her the best and hope that someday we can all laugh about this misunderstanding."
