Footage of Kelly Clarkson visiting the Brooklyn novelty store she slammed on Saturday has now been acquired and released by Pablo Torre, the host and executive editor of the investigative podcast, “Pablo Torre Finds Out.”
The video offers another perspective to the ongoing drama between Clarkson and Art of Play, the Brooklyn local business she alleged gave her the “Pretty Woman” treatment when an employee looked at the singer as though she “couldn’t afford” Molly, the $15,000 bird automaton she inquired about purchasing. “Wow, dude. You’re an idiot and just lost a huge sale,” Clarkson wrote on X before naming the store. Related Stories Sylvester Stallone Has ‘Millions of Regrets’ About Doing His Own Stunts: ‘I'm An Idiot for Doing That’ Katseye Teams Up With Disney for Mickey Mouse-Inspired Collection Ahead of Hulu Doc
Clarkson can be seen wearing a baseball hat, bright yellow T-shirt, baggy jeans and a backpack in the security footage. She enters the store with her children, browses, and then picks up a few items as more shoppers continue to enter. From footage from an alternative camera angle, Clarkson then finds herself standing in front of the automaton bird, where she gets the attention of a store employee, who can be seen speaking with the musician and pointing at something by the bird, though it is not clear from the video what, exactly, he was pointing at. (The footage has no accompanying audio.) Popular on Variety
After Art of Play shared a statement in response on Sunday, writing that the bird is “permanently attached to the wall and isn’t for sale” and “plays an important role in the magic shows we host here,” a skeptical Clarkson responded once again, describing the interaction now seen on video and writing: “Cool, cool. Sure, it wasn’t for sale. That’s the narrative Art of Play is gonna go with 👍 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.’”
At this point in the footage, Clarkson and the employee part ways as he begins helping other customers in the store. Clarkson then puts back the items she was holding and heads towards the door. Before she leaves, she turns around and begins speaking to another employee behind the front counter, gesticulating, seemingly upset about the earlier interaction. Other shoppers in the store can be seen looking back at Clarkson during the final interaction in the store, her entire visit to which lasted less than five minutes. Her first tweet about the interaction was posted 15 minutes after she left.
While some are staunchly pro-Clarkson in the debate that has since taken over the internet, others have questioned the singer’s motives for calling out the small business across her social media accounts. In an interview with Inside Edition on Tuesday, store owner Adam Rubin said that his store has been review-bombed since Clarkson took to social media and named the store, and employees and surrounding businesses have been harassed. “We are afraid for the safety of our shopkeepers. Kelly Clarkson has put us in danger… Things changed when she used her platform to attack us. It’s just social warfare,” he said. Rubin also offered an explanation for why Clarkson might have felt she received subpar treatment: “When Kelly came in, the shop was crowded. She was dressed like everybody else in the shop. We treated her like a normal person, but apparently that did not live up to her expectations.”
Art of Play is described as a specialty curiosity shop and online retailer.
