Kelly Clarkson Feuds with Brooklyn Store Over ‘Pretty Woman’ Treatment

Key Takeaways

Kelly Clarkson disputes a Brooklyn store's explanation of her shopping experience.
The store claims the item Clarkson asked about is permanently attached to the wall.
Clarkson accuses the store of lying and being rude, stating she was treated as if she couldn’t afford the merchandise.

Kelly Clarkson has intensified her dispute with a Brooklyn store, accusing it of lying after the shop pushed back on her account of a 'Pretty Woman'-style snub.

In a new Instagram Stories post, the 44-year-old singer disputed the store's explanation and shared a grainy photo showing the item in question, a singing-and-dancing bird automaton, on display with a $15,000 price tag.

Clarkson wrote, 'So you’re not only rude, you’re also a liar. Got it,' recounting a condescending exchange in which an employee quoted the price before offering to find 'something comparable.'

The store, Art of Play, had initially stated that the item 'is permanently attached to the wall and isn’t for sale.' However, Clarkson rejected this explanation, emphasizing that the item was clearly visible and for sale.

Clarkson also rejected any suggestion that she was 'punching down' at a small business, noting she had been shopping at one when the alleged slight occurred. She wrote, 'You don’t get a free pass to treat people less than in your store just because you are a small business.'

In its Sunday statement, Art of Play had struck a more conciliatory tone, allowing that the 'negative experience Kelly described … would resonate with anyone who has ever felt judged in a shop' and emphasizing that all visitors are 'equally welcome.'

The store also said it had been overwhelmed by the response to Clarkson's post, writing that it was 'suddenly attacked by 8 million people who have never visited our store,' and signed off with a nod to the singer's own catalog: 'What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger' — a line from her 2012 hit 'Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You).'

The exchange comes during a transitional stretch for Clarkson. In August, she aired the series finale of her Daytime Emmy-winning program The Kelly Clarkson Show after seven seasons, saying she wanted to 'prioritize her kids.' She has since returned to NBC’s The Voice for its 30th season alongside Adam Levine, Queen Latifah, and Riley Green.