New security footage is giving us a closer look at the Kelly Clarkson toy store saga that took over the internet. The video, obtained by Pablo Torre’s podcast, shows Clarkson inside Art of Play in Brooklyn Heights for four minutes and 50 seconds, dressed casually and browsing like any other customer. She checks out a telescope, chats with a shopkeeper about a rare mechanical bird named Molly, and then appears upset at the doorway before heading outside and reaching for her phone.
That phone moment kicked off the whole viral mess. Clarkson accused the store of treating her rudely and assuming she couldn’t afford the $15,000 bird, comparing it to Julia Roberts’character in Pretty Woman. The store tells it differently: Molly was never for sale, and staff say they offered her a different automaton for $2,000, which she declined. Since her posts went up, co-owner Adam Rubin says Art of Play has received hundreds of threatening messages, calling the situation a“reprehensible abuse of power.”
The footage is silent, so it can’t confirm who said what. What it does show is how quickly a single post from a famous person can turn a small business into a target. We want to hear from you: have you ever called out a business online, and did it go the way you expected?
About the Author
Local Lawton
Local Lawton is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.