Big mistake. Big ones. Huge!
Kelly Clarkson sparked a heated public feud with a Brooklyn small business after accusing the store of treating her like Julia Roberts’ character in “Pretty Woman.” But the store owner later fired back, claiming Clarkson left out key details in the awkward exchange.
On Sunday, the “Since U Been Gone” singer lashed out at magic shop Art of Play in an incendiary X post after visiting the Brooklyn Heights brick-and-mortar store, which sells collectibles like deluxe playing cards, puzzles and other charming toys and gadgets.
She wrote in the post: “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.”
“Wow, man. You’re an idiot and just lost a big deal. But if you like being treated like Julia Roberts’ character in Pretty Woman, then y’all should check out Art of Play in Brooklyn. Of course, go check it out đź‘Ž,” she added.
Clarkson is referring to the iconic scene in which Roberts plays Vivian Ward, a Hollywood prostitute who is ushered into a lavish new lifestyle by wealthy businessman Edward Lewis (Richard Gere), who attempts to splurge at a swanky Rodeo Drive boutique only to be snubbed by snooty saleswomen who scoff at her appearance.
In response to a series of hateful comments from Clarkson and her fans, the store owner released a statement claiming that the item Clarkson wanted to purchase – a large mechanical bird – was never actually for sale.
“Yesterday, Kelly Clarkson visited us in Brooklyn to inquire about purchasing ‘Molly,’ a one-of-a-kind singing and dancing bird robot that plays an important role in the magic shows we host here,” the store wrote on X Sunday.
“Molly is permanently affixed to the wall and is not for sale.”
But Clarkson was not about to “walk away” from the drama, responding by calling the store’s claims a lie, including photographic evidence that the birds had price tags.
“Cool, cool. Of course, it’s not for sale. That’s the narrative of Game Art đź‘Ť,” she wrote on
“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 itâś….”
Clarkson shared a photo of a wall-mounted robot bird with what appeared to be a $15,000 price tag next to it, but the image was too pixelated for Page Six to independently verify the listed price.
The 44-year-old “American Idol” star also defended his attack on a mom-and-pop store.
“BTW, I obviously support small businesses because I was actually at a small business trying to buy something,” she wrote. “I love small businesses and know they’re important and I always support them, but you don’t get a free pass to treat people less than you would in your store just because you’re a small business.”
The “Justin to Kelly” star concluded her post by preaching that “it’s not hard to be kind.”
“I never criticize people but you my friend are the exception,” she wrote, concluding, “Your store is really cool. Unfortunately, you are not.”
However, the store’s owners have a very different story – they took to social media to “clarify” their previous statement and provide more details about Clarkson’s brief visit to their store.
“She spent 5 minutes in the store asking about our mechanical bird puppet named Molly,” they wrote. “We explained that while Molly was permanently affixed to the wall and served as our store’s de facto mascot, the machine’s creator had a nearly identical automaton, a talented Seattle-based artist named Bliss Kolb.
“He told us he was willing to part with Molly’s twins for $15,000. We explained all of this to Kelly Clarkson.”
The shop claimed they were willing to show Clarkson a “different Songbird automaton” made by a traditional watch shop in Germany. They said the bird could be purchased and Clarkson could leave with the product that day.
The store claimed that their employees took it upon themselves to show Clarkson a “different Songbird automaton” made by a traditional German watchmaker. They said the bird was available for purchase and could be taken home the same day for $2,000.
“She didn’t stay long enough to see it,” the store said.
The store told followers that they have since attempted to contact the singer directly to “try to clear up the misunderstanding.”
“We sincerely wish her the best and hope that one day we can all laugh about this misunderstanding,” they wrote.
Clarkson’s heated reaction to the store’s alleged treatment of her was a rare departure from the “Since U Been Gone” artist’s typically easy-going demeanor, a source told Page Six exclusively.
“Kylie is truly one of the most down-to-earth, calmest people you’ll ever meet,” the insider told Us on Monday, adding that she’s “truly one of the nicest people ever.”
“She’s very approachable and never lets any fame get to her head. She respects everyone and doesn’t expect special treatment from anyone,” the insider added.
We’re told Clarkson must have been extremely frustrated to publicly drag the store online.
“If she did criticize a store publicly, she would be very angry,” the person said. “You know there must be something that’s really bothering her because it’s not her.”
“She’s not the type to make trouble over nothing,” the source said. “She’s just a really nice, normal person who happens to be pretty famous.”
Clarkson and the store’s co-owners — twin magicians Dan and Dave Buck and children’s book author Adam Rubin — did not respond to Page Six’s request for comment.