A visit to Art of Play, the Brooklyn store in an animatronic bird beef with Kelly Clarkson

Art of Play, located on Atlantic Avenue between Brooklyn Heights and Cobble Hill, has become the center of a viral dispute after singer Kelly Clarkson posted on X (formerly Twitter) about a negative shopping experience. Clarkson claimed she was treated poorly while attempting to purchase a handcrafted animatronic bird named Molly, comparing the encounter to a scene from the film Pretty Woman.

Co-owner Adam Rubin stated that the bird, crafted by artist Bliss Kolb, was a display piece not available for immediate sale, though similar items were offered. The store has since reported receiving threatening calls and messages following the post. In a satirical response to the controversy, the shop has updated the display tag for the bird to a price of $15 million.

Summary by Dispatch AI — read the full story at Gothamist.