Key Takeaways
- Kelly Clarkson accused Brooklyn shop Art of Play of judging her ability to afford a $15,000 mechanical bird, but Pablo Torre’s silent security footage only shows her browsing for four minutes and 50 seconds.
- Art of Play said the price tag belonged to a nearly identical bird owned by its creator, while its display bird was permanently attached to the wall and a $2,000 alternative remained unseen before Clarkson left.
- After Clarkson’s post drew more than 45 million views, the shop reported threats, harassment and collateral doxxing, while Torre bought the alternative birds to auction for glioblastoma research through the Kira Fund.
Kelly Clarkson spent less than five minutes inside the Brooklyn curio shop Art of Play—but the fallout has lasted considerably longer.
Pablo Torre released security footage of the singer’s Brooklyn shopping trip on the October 14 episode of Pablo Torre Finds Out, examining the encounter behind her viral complaint about a $15,000 mechanical bird—complete with a purchase of his own.
The Pulitzer Prize winner obtained the in-shop recording, which follows Clarkson browsing shelves, testing a kaleidoscope, and approaching Molly, the wooden singing bird she wanted to buy. She speaks with an employee, returns merchandise, gestures toward a cashier, and heads out.
Total shopping time: four minutes and 50 seconds.
Torre said Clarkson’s first complaint hit X roughly 15 minutes after she left. The footage captures the movements, but misses the conversation. “These cameras do not have audio,” he said.
Clarkson’s version of events was clear: She felt sized up and dismissed. After the October 10 visit, she accused an employee of assuming she couldn’t afford the bird and compared the experience to Julia Roberts’ boutique rejection in Pretty Woman.
When Art of Play said Molly wasn’t for sale, Clarkson returned with a photo of the nearby $15,000 tag and called the employee a liar. Torre said her original post had passed 45 million views.
The store’s explanation involves a second Molly. In its statement, read on the podcast, Art of Play said the price referred to a nearly identical bird owned by Seattle creator Bliss Kolb. The shop’s Molly was “permanently attached to the wall” and stayed put for its magic shows. Staff also said they offered a German-made alternative costing about $2,000, but the business said Clarkson left before seeing it.
Outside the shop, the consequences kept spreading. Torre reported attacks on employees’ and relatives’ social accounts, negative reviews and the doxxing of a neighboring children’s art school.
“We are legitimately worried about the safety of our shopkeepers,” shop co-owner Adam Rubin said, per NewsNation.
Torre said his team requested comment from Clarkson’s representative about the footage and hadn’t heard back when the episode aired.
Then Torre brought out the $2,000 bird. The show bought the alternative Clarkson never examined: two mechanical birds under glass, promptly named Julia and Robert, seemingly as a nod and a wink to the star of Pretty Woman.
“We’re going to auction off Julia and Robert,” Torre announced, with the fundraiser supporting glioblastoma research through the Kira Fund.
