Kelly Clarkson Brooklyn shop row escalates over $15,000 bird

A Brooklyn magic shop has issued a second public statement after Kelly Clarkson accused it of lying about a $15,000 mechanical bird.

Art of Play posted the new message on Instagram on Oct. 12, two days after Clarkson first complained on X about her visit to its Curiosity Shop on Saturday, Oct. 10, according to Billboard.

Clarkson wrote on Oct. 10 that a member of staff looked at her as if she could not afford an item and told her he could find something comparable. She then responded to the shop’s first reply by sharing a photo showing a $15,000 price tag beside the wall display for the bird, called Molly.

The singer later posted video of the same price tag. That footage escalated the row, with Clarkson accusing the store of lying and doubling down on her account, according to Fox5 New York.

Art of Play gives a different version of the five minutes it says Clarkson spent in the store. It said she asked about Molly, a mechanical bird puppet that is fixed to the wall and acts as a de facto mascot for the shop.

The $15,000 figure did not mean Molly itself was for sale, the shop said. A nearly identical piece, described as an automaton, a hand-built mechanical figure, is owned by its maker, Bliss Kolb, who lives in Seattle. Kolb had said he would be willing to part with Molly’s twin for $15,000.

Staff also offered to show Clarkson another singing-bird automaton made by a traditional clockmaking workshop in Germany for $2,000, which she could have taken home that day. The shop claimed she did not stay long enough to see the alternative.

Art of Play is a store at the start of Atlantic Avenue near Brooklyn Bridge Park. It sells magical home goods, puzzles, games, toys and books, and runs a 26-seat theatre for close-up magicians.

The business said it was shocked by the sudden backlash and that it had contacted Clarkson directly to try to clear the air. It closed its Oct. 12 post by wishing her well and saying it hoped they could all laugh about the misunderstanding one day.

What keeps this story moving is that both sides point to the same price tag. Clarkson presents it as proof the bird was listed for sale. The shop presents it as a reference to a twin piece held elsewhere.