Kelly Clarkson is known for being one of the most likeable people in pop music, which makes her sudden feud with a Brooklyn toy store so surprising. The singer claims Art of Play treated her like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman on October 10, writing that staff assumed she couldn’t afford anything. She added that she loves supporting small businesses, but she won’t accept being treated poorly.
Art of Play told a very different story. The store says Clarkson spent about five minutes inside and asked about a $15,000 mechanical bird puppet named Molly. Because Molly belongs to its creator, they offered to show her a similar $2,000 singing bird automaton instead. According to them, she left before they got the chance to show her anything at all. The store also says it reached out directly to clear the air.
Of course, the internet did what it does best. Matt Rogers weighed in, the Kelce brothers’beer company got involved, and pretty much everyone picked a side. Was she right to call it out publicly, or did five minutes not give the store a fair shake?
So tell us: are you Team Kelly or Team Art of Play?
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Local Lawton
Local Lawton is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.