One shopping trip, one mechanical bird and a $15,000 price tag became the weekend's loudest celebrity feud. Here's what each side says happened.
On Saturday, Oct. 10, Clarkson drove to Art of Play, a curiosity shop in Brooklyn Heights. Shown: the neighborhood's Montague Street, not the shop.
The item was Molly, the shop's one-of-a-kind singing and dancing bird automaton. The store says Molly was never for sale. Shown: a similar 1810 bird box.
On X, Clarkson said she was looked at as if she couldn't afford anything. She says she asked about a bird labeled $15,000 and got a condescending reply.
She compared it to Julia Roberts' boutique snub in Pretty Woman and said the employee just lost a huge sale. The post drew millions of views.
On Sunday, Art of Play said on Instagram that Molly stars in its magic shows and isn't for sale, and that every visitor is equally welcome.
Sunday evening she posted again, calling the store rude and accusing it of lying about whether the bird was ever for sale.
The shop says her visit lasted about 5 minutes. The $15,000 bird is a near-twin owned by Molly's maker, and staff offered a different bird for about $2,000.
Fans flooded the shop with negative online reviews. The store called it surreal to be hit by "8 million people" who had never visited.
Art of Play says it reached out to Clarkson directly to clear the air. She hasn't said whether they've talked, and no legal action has been reported.
She says she was judged; the shop says the bird was never for sale. Either way, a $15,000 automaton is now the most famous bird in Brooklyn.