Brooklyn shop puts $15m price tag on animatronic bird after Kelly Clarkson 'Pretty Woman' row

The bitter public feud between Kelly Clarkson and a Brooklyn novelty boutique has escalated into chaos, with the store's co-owner accusing the daytime host of waging "asymmetrical social warfare" and slapping an astronomical $15 million price tag on the mechanical bird that sparked the clash.

The dispute erupted over the weekend after the 42-year-old pop star visited Art of Play, a quirky gift and puzzle shop in Brooklyn.

Following the visit, Clarkson shared a furious rant on X alleging that employees gave her cold, dismissive treatment, comparing the awkward encounter to the famous scene in Pretty Woman where boutique staff snub Julia Roberts' character.

The post rapidly exploded across social media, clocking more than 45 million views in just 72 hours.

Now, Art of Play co-owner Adam Rubin has fiercely defended his staff, telling New York magazine’s Curbed that the entire confrontation was an "insane misunderstanding" blown out of proportion by an ultra-famous celebrity using her immense digital megaphone.

Rubin explained that Clarkson spent "less than five minutes" inside the crowded shop on a bustling Saturday before angrily scolding an employee on her way out the door.

"Nothing happened in this shop to justify her scolding our shopkeeper on the way out, but I can let that go," Rubin told the outlet. "Things changed when she used her platform to attack us. It’s asymmetrical social warfare."

At the heart of the standoff was "Molly," a rare, handcrafted animatronic singing bird crafted by woodland artisan Bliss Kolb.

While only two exist, the store previously placed a $15,000 sticker on the piece purely to gauge serious interest from collectors.

Following Clarkson's online fury, Rubin decided to lean into the viral attention by dramatically inflating the price a thousandfold.

"As you’ve noticed, we’ve raised the price due to popular demand," Rubin remarked. "It now costs $15 million."

Beyond the eye-watering price hike, Rubin claimed the fallout has turned genuinely frightening for his team and nearby residents.

The business owner reported that furious fans bombarded the shop with one-star reviews, jammed phone lines until employees had to unplug the receivers, and even gathered outside on the pavement screaming accusations of profiling.

According to Rubin, local police had to be summoned after neighbors filmed the sidewalk protesters, only for those residents to be doxed online by Clarkson's followers.

"Kelly Clarkson has put us in danger," Rubin claimed, maintaining that in-person patrons have rallied around the store. "Nobody who has ever visited this store in person is taking Kelly Clarkson’s side."