A Brooklyn toy store found itself at the center of a celebrity web drama after Kelly Clarkson said she received “Pretty Woman” treatment when she inquired about a $15,000 item in the store.
In an X post on Saturday, the singer said she had a negative experience at Art of Play, a toy store in New York City.
“I drove all the way to Brooklyn to look at this store and thought it looked really cool and wanted to buy something, but they actually looked like I couldn’t afford it and was told he could find something similar for me,” Clarkson wrote in the post. She added that the store “just lost a huge sale.”
She then compared her experience to the treatment of Julia Roberts’ character in the ’90s romantic comedy “Pretty Woman,” telling people to go to the store if they liked being treated that way.
As of Sunday evening, Clarkson’s post on X had received more than 39.4 million views and more than 261,000 likes.
As her post gained traction, Art of Play responded on Instagram the next day, posting its own description of the interaction, saying the toy Clarkson was asking about was a bird automaton that was “permanently affixed to the wall and not for sale.”
The store said it understands why Clarkson’s account “will resonate with anyone who has ever been judged in the store,” but said it equally welcomes visitors, whether they come to browse or buy.
“Imagine our surprise when our local small business is suddenly attacked by 8 million people who have never visited our store,” the store said in a statement on Instagram. “It’s a surreal experience to be mentioned just once by a celebrity and to be the focus of such widespread outrage.”
The store later thanked its supporters and said it planned to keep a low profile while hoping to “clarify” with Clarkson one day.
The public exchanges didn’t end there.
On Instagram Stories and
“Cool, cool. Of course, it’s not for sale. That’s the narrative The Art of Games is going to follow,” Clarkson wrote on Sunday.
She said the staff member “looked at her in the elevator” and told her “in a condescending tone” that the item was for sale but for $15,000, then offered to find her a “similar” replacement.
“None of this ever happened and now it’s not for sale. OK, cool. So not only are you rude, you’re a liar. Got it,” Clarkson said in the post.
Art of Play posted another statement on Instagram on Sunday night, saying that while the toy Clarkson asked about is permanently affixed to the wall, the robot’s creator owns a nearly identical bird and is willing to sell it for $15,000.
The store said it explained the difference to Clarkson and offered to show her a different German-made Songbird automaton, which sells for about $2,000, although she “did not stay long enough to look at it.”
The company said it had contacted Clarkson directly to “clarify the facts.”
Clarkson and Art of Play did not immediately respond to Business Insider’s request for comment, which was made outside regular business hours.
The impact of the Internet
The public back-and-forth seems to have triggered a barrage of comments on Art of Play’s comments page.
When Business Insider first checked the store’s Google reviews around 9 p.m. ET on Sunday, the store had a rating of 4.7 stars based on 273 reviews, including several recent one-star complaints that appear to be related to the store’s ongoing public dispute with Clarkson.
About three hours later, Google reviews for the store showed a 5-star rating based on 253 reviews. Recent negative reviews that Business Insider previously viewed are no longer visible.
Google did not immediately respond to questions about whether it had removed comments related to the incident or taken other action against the listing.
Art of Play had a 2.4-star rating on Yelp based on 154 reviews when Business Insider checked the page at 12:17 pm ET on Monday, with recent posts reflecting the polarized reaction to the controversy. Some criticized the store, citing Clarkson and Pretty Woman, while others defended the store, citing their own positive experiences.
Several reviewers also acknowledged that people were participating in Art of Play despite not having visited it, with one calling on the public to stop attacking a small shop over complaints from celebrities. Yelp did not immediately respond to Business Insider’s request for comment.
Business Insider was unable to independently verify whether the recent reviewer had been to the store.
Risks of Online Disputes
Danny Delaney, founder of Los Angeles-based Delaney Public Relations, said he doesn’t believe there will be a winner in the dispute.
“Until the reaction is confirmed, fans will stand by her,” Delaney told Business Insider.
He said that while Art of Play was right to respond publicly to protect its business, Clarkson should have raised the issue directly with the store rather than online.
Delaney said the incident appears to have involved an individual inside the store, and until the full circumstances are known, public stacking could put small businesses at risk.
“Even if Kelly is correct about the way she was treated, the employees and businesses who did not interact with her may end up being hit the worst,” he said.
Delaney added that people online should be careful about judging either party because they were not witness to the exchange.
“It’s not good for the individual or the business when all these issues can be resolved through discussion. I don’t think there’s a need for follow-up; it’s the best thing to do to let the issue be resolved, and it will be,” Delaney said.