Kelly Clarkson vs. a Brooklyn Art Store: The $15,000 Mechanical Bird Feud, Explained

A quick weekend visit to Art of Play in Brooklyn has turned into one of the most talked-about celebrity stories of the week, and the center of it all is a mechanical bird puppet named Molly who is permanently attached to the wall and definitely not for sale. According to the store, Kelly Clarkson stopped in, asked about Molly, and was told the artist behind the piece, Bliss Kolb, would sell a nearly identical twin for $15,000. Art of Play also says it offered her a $2,000 German-made singing bird automaton she could have taken home, but she didn’t stay long enough to see it.

Clarkson’s version started on X on Oct. 10, when she said an employee treated her like Julia Roberts’character in Pretty Woman. She then doubled down, posting a photo of the $15,000 price tag next to Molly’s display and calling the store rude and a liar. On Monday, Art of Play released a second Instagram statement, saying it stands by its account and that it really does wish her the best and hopes everyone can laugh about this someday.

So now we have a superstar, a small business, and two completely different memories of the same five minutes. Both sides have receipts, and the internet is very much divided. Where do you land on this one? Sound off in the comments.