Kelly Clarkson slams New York store for alleged 'Pretty Woman' moment
Brendan Morrow, USA TODAYSun, October 11, 2026 at 4:58 PM UTC
Kelly Clarkson says a store in Brooklyn just made a big mistake. Big. Huge!
The "American Idol" alum, 44, took to X on Oct. 10 to call out a Brooklyn store after she allegedly had a negative experience there, which she compared to a famous scene from the movie "Pretty Woman."
"Just drove all the way to Brooklyn to check out this store I thought looked really rad and had a few things in mind to buy and literally was looked at as if I couldn't afford it and was told he could find something comparable for me," Clarkson alleged. "Wow, dude. You're an idiot and just lost a huge sale."
The singer and talk show host said the incident occurred at Art of Play, a curiosity shop in Brooklyn, and she sarcastically told fans to check the place out "if you enjoy being treated like Julia Roberts character in 'Pretty Woman.' "
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Clarkson referenced a scene in "Pretty Woman" where Roberts' character goes shopping and is rudely told that she's "in the wrong place" because the clothing there is too expensive for her. The next day, she goes back to the store, carrying several shopping bags and dressed in fancier clothes, to tell the salespeople they made a "big mistake. Big. Huge!"
The store has since fired back at Clarkson's claim, alleging the item she'd inquired about purchasing was not for sale. However, the "Breakaway" singer maintains that the decoration had a price tag attached.
Here's what has happened in the controversy involving Clarkson, a Brooklyn curiosity store and a dancing bird.
Brooklyn store responds to Kelly Clarkson allegations
Art of Play responded in an Instagram post on Oct. 11. In a statement, the store alleged that when Clarkson stopped by, she asked about buying a "one-of-a-kind singing and dancing bird automaton who plays an important role in the magic shows we host here" and is not for sale. "However, the negative experience Kelly described on Twitter would resonate with anyone who has ever felt judged in a shop."
The statement went on to say it has been "a surreal experience to be the focus of such widespread outrage after just one mention by a celebrity" and to be attacked online by millions of people who have never visited the store.
"Thanks to all our friends for their support and welcome to all the curious folks who have discovered us amidst the drama," the store's statement concluded. "We're going to keep our heads down and hopefully, we can clear things up with Kelly someday. As a talented popular singer once said 'what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.' "
Art of Play features a "unique collection of magical home goods, puzzles, games, toys and books," as well as a theater that hosts "performances from the best close-up magicians in the world," according to its website.
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The store's online ratings from prior to the Clarkson incident are largely positive, with one user writing on Google reviews that they had a "fantastic shopping experience" there and another saying it has the "nicest, most helpful employees." But after Clarkson's post, the store's Yelp and Facebook pages were flooded with comments supporting the singer, with several fans posting the "Pretty Woman" scene.
Kelly Clarkson calls out store owner: 'You’re not only rude, you’re also a liar'
Within hours, Clarkson countered Art of Play's narrative with details about her conversation with a staff member about the bird's price tag.
"Cool, cool. Sure, it wasn’t for sale. That’s the narrative Art of Play is gonna go with 👍," Clarkson wrote in a statement that she shared on X and her Instagram story.
"So the whole conversation we had when I asked you if it was for sale whilst pointing to the price tag hanging on the wall with the title Singing Bird didn’t happen as you elevator eyed me saying in a condescending tone 'Yes, it’s for sale but it costs 15,000 dollars so if you’d like me to find something comparable for you I can,'" she continued. "That all never happened and now it’s not for sale."
She added, "So you’re not only rude, you’re also a liar. Got it ✅." Clarkson also clarified that she supports small businesses, "but you don’t get a free pass to treat people less than in your store just because you are a small business."
"It’s not that hard to be kind. I never blast people but you my friend were an exception," she concluded. "Your store is really cool. Unfortunately, you aren't."
Before the back-and-forth, Clarkson's original callout received a mixed response on X. Some followers took her side, while others argued it was not necessary to call out the establishment by name. "All she did here was use her fame to put down a small business," one X post read.
But music video director Joseph Kahn reacted by posting that Clarkson is "the nicest person I've ever worked with," adding that if you upset her enough that "she tweets about you, you need to rethink your life choices."
Clarkson is coming off the end of her daytime talk show "The Kelly Clarkson Show," which aired its final episode in August. In a September appearance on the "Las Culturistas" podcast, she discussed what she loves about raising her kids in New York City.
"It's a beautiful city, I will say, to raise kiddos in, too, because I wasn’t really exposed to different cultures. I wasn’t really exposed to anything like that," she said. "Like, I love where I grew up, and obviously I turned out all right. But I just meant it’s a cool thing for them to have just every color of the rainbow, every color of personality, everything."
Contributing: KiMi Robinson
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kelly Clarkson slams New York store for alleged 'Pretty Woman' moment
Source: Entertainment