‘Kelly Clarkson has put us all in danger’: Brooklyn store owner speaks out on threats and abuse as bird feud rages

The owner of Art of Play, a Brooklyn curiosity shop, says his staff now fear for their safety after Kelly Clarkson publicly bashed the store. Separately, a podcast has aired security footage that it says shows the singer’s visit.

Adam Rubin, who owns the shop, told TMZ that the backlash has included thousands of calls and messages. “We are worried about the safety of our shopkeepers,” Rubin said. “Kelly Clarkson has put us all in danger by using her platform.” He added that the store had received a “barrage of threats from Kelly Clarkson fans” and that “we had no idea any of this is going to happen.”

How the feud began

The dispute started on Saturday, October 10. Clarkson, 44, posted on X that she had made a trip to Art of Play with several purchases in mind. She said a staff member treated her as though she could not afford anything and offered to find her “something comparable.”

She compared the experience to the famous shopping scene in Pretty Woman, in which Julia Roberts’s character is turned away by snobbish sales staff. She called the employee “an idiot” who had “just lost a huge sale,” and sarcastically recommended the shop to anyone who wanted to be treated the same way.

The item Clarkson wanted was a $15,000 mechanical bird that the shop says was never for sale. Staff instead suggested a less expensive alternative.

The alleged footage

On Tuesday, October 13, the podcast Pablo Torre Finds Out released security camera footage from inside the shop. Host Pablo Torre says it shows Clarkson. It has not been confirmed that the woman in the video is the singer.

The clip is timestamped at about 2:50 p.m. ET on October 10. It shows a woman in an oversized yellow T-shirt, a grey baseball cap and a backpack entering the crowded store and stopping at a wall-mounted mechanical bird puppet called “Molly.” She speaks briefly with an employee. Torre and his co-host, comedian Wyatt Cenac, note that the exchange lasts only a few seconds before the two go separate ways.

The employee is then seen pointing at the opposite wall in the woman’s direction, but her back is turned and she does not appear to notice. Cenac argued that the gesture suggested the employee was pointing out another bird she might be interested in.

The woman then puts two items back on a shelf, glances back at the first employee, who is now helping another customer, and walks towards the exit. Before leaving, she speaks with a second staff member, gesturing animatedly. After she walks out, that employee appears confused and points towards his colleague.

Backlash spreads to supporters

Rubin told TMZ that the store has been hit with online attacks and demands for an apology. He said most of the people criticising the shop have never been inside it. He said the store’s defenders have also been targeted, including one person who received a cruel comment about a beloved pet and an incurable disease.

“Our friends and families who praise us are getting attacked,” he said, though he added that neighbours have rallied around the shop.

Rubin said he never expected the anger to grow so large, but he believes Clarkson understood the reach of her celebrity when she posted. In his view, the singer was simply upset at being treated like an ordinary customer.

Even so, Rubin says he is open to making peace. He has invited Clarkson to a 21+ magic show held at the shop.