Kelly Clarkson’s now-viral confrontation with a Brooklyn shopkeeper she accused of treating her rudely over the weekend was captured on security video—and the footage is now public.
Journalist Pablo Torre obtained the video from inside Art of Play in Brooklyn Heights and played it during Tuesday’s episode of his podcast, “Pablo Torre Finds Out.”
Torre said the “American Idol” winner spent just four minutes and 50 seconds in the store. The footage shows Clarkson wearing a yellow shirt, jeans, a baseball cap and a backpack.
In the video, Clarkson browses the shop and looks through a telescope before approaching “Molly,” the rare automaton bird at the heart of the dispute.
The footage has no audio, but Clarkson can be seen speaking with the shopkeeper about the bird as he gestures toward it. Their exchange is brief. He then turns to speak with another customer, marking the last time the two appear to interact.
Clarkson puts the telescope back and begins walking toward the exit. Before leaving, she turns around and appears upset as she stands in the doorway and speaks with the man working at the front register.
The former talk show host gestures emphatically while other shoppers look on. The cashier points in the direction of Molly, but Clarkson ultimately exits the store.
Once outside, Clarkson is seen quickly taking out her phone.
Torre pointed out that Clarkson’s casual outfit closely resembled what other customers were wearing, suggesting she was not treated differently because of her clothing.
Torre, who said he had previously visited Art of Play, also confirmed that Molly is one of only two such birds in existence. The other belongs to its creator, artist Bliss Kolb, who lives in Seattle. The handmade automaton is also a key part of the opening act for the magic shows held at the store.
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The dispute began over the weekend after Clarkson criticized Art of Play on social media. She accused an employee of treating her like Julia Roberts’ character in “Pretty Woman” by allegedly assuming she could not afford the mechanical singing bird, which carried a $15,000 price tag at the time. The price now displays as $15 million.
Clarkson claimed the staff member looked her up and down before condescendingly offering to locate a less expensive option. She later called him an “idiot” who had missed out on a “huge sale.”
The store disputed her account, saying Molly was not actually available for purchase. Staff members said they offered to show her another automaton priced at $2,000, but she declined the opportunity.
Clarkson, 44, later accused the store of misrepresenting what happened. The owners, meanwhile, said they had attempted to contact her to resolve the situation.
On Tuesday, Art of Play co-owner Adam Rubin spoke with Page Six and condemned what he described as the singer’s “reprehensible abuse of power.” He said Clarkson’s public criticism had triggered a wave of online harassment targeting the small business.
“It’s a pop star, a mechanical bird, it’s surreal. When this thing first started, everybody wanted us to die,” Rubin said, referring to the hundreds of threatening messages staff members have received since Clarkson criticized the store online.
“And as the truth has come to light, thinking people realize this is reprehensible abuse of power,” he continued. “We have to reconsider the place we give celebrities in our society.”
Sources close to Clarkson previously told Page Six that her response was unusual for the Grammy-winning singer.
“If she’s actually calling out a store publicly, she must’ve been livid,” an insider told Page Six exclusively. “You know something must have really bothered her because that’s just not who she is.”
“Kelly is seriously one of the most down-to-earth people you could ever meet,” the source added. “She’s usually chill and genuinely one of the nicest people ever.”
