A Brooklyn Heights toy store is speaking out after what its co-owner calls a“reprehensible abuse of power.”Art of Play co-owner Adam Rubin says the shop received thousands of hateful calls and messages after Kelly Clarkson complained about it on social media. The drama centers on a $15,000 mechanical bird named Molly, which the store says was a permanent display piece that was never for sale. Staff offered Clarkson a different automaton priced around $2,000, and Rubin insists she was treated like any other customer.
The situation escalated fast. According to Rubin, fans doxxed employees and tracked staff down on social media. He compared the fallout to a Molotov cocktail, telling a reporter,“She threw a Molotov cocktail into our store, and while it’s on fire, they’re saying we owe her an apology?”A source close to Clarkson says the exchange must have really bothered her, noting she’s not someone who makes a big deal out of nothing, which suggests both sides feel wronged here.
The bigger conversation is about celebrity power online. When someone with a massive platform airs a grievance, their followers can turn a bad shopping trip into a full-blown pile-on, and small businesses have no PR team to fight back. Rubin says he would welcome Clarkson back anytime. Whether she’d take him up on it is anyone’s guess.
So whose side are you on? Does the celebrity owe the store an apology, or does the store owe her one? Drop your take in the comments.
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Local Lawton
Local Lawton is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.