Brooklyn retailer Kelly Clarkson took heat for treating her like a “Pretty Woman” and responded to Clarkson’s claims by saying she wanted to buy something that wasn’t for sale.
“Yesterday, Kelly Clarkson visited us in Brooklyn and inquired about purchasing ‘Molly,’ the one-of-a-kind singing and dancing bird automaton that plays a key role in the magic shows we host here,” the Art of Play store wrote on Instagram Sunday. “Molly is permanently attached to the wall and is not for sale. But the negative experience Kelly described on Twitter will resonate with anyone who has felt judged in a store.”
The response came a day after Clarkson went to X to complain about the service she received at the store. He wrote that he “went all the way to Brooklyn” to visit Art of Play, but when he got there the staff looked at him like he “couldn’t afford” the piece and told him they “could find something similar.”
Clarkson wrote to X: “Wow mate. You’re an idiot and lost a huge sale.” “But if you like being treated like Julia Roberts’ character in Pretty Woman, you should check out Art of Play in Brooklyn. Check it out by all means,” she added a thumbs-down emoji. Clarkson’s post has more than 32 million views and more than 10,000 reshares as of publication.
After Clarkson’s post, many people left nasty reviews on Art of Play’s Yelp page, writing things like: “Why would I go to a store to spend my hard-earned money just to be treated like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman?” and “Rude!!!!”
The store said in its Instagram post that everyone was “equally welcome” and that they were surprised by Clarkson’s post.
“Imagine our surprise when our small local business suddenly comes under attack from 8 million people who have never visited our store,” Art of Play wrote. “It was a surreal experience to be the focus of such widespread outrage after a single remark from a celebrity.”
They concluded their post by thanking their friends for their support and, quoting Clarkson’s song “Stronger,” wrote: “As a talented popular singer once said, ‘What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.'”