'Asymmetrical social warfare': Kelly Clarkson, a mechanical bird, and store put 'in danger'
A singing mechanical bird named Molly has become the unlikely epicentre of a public dispute between singer and television host Kelly Clarkson and a small novelty store in New York.
What began as a shopping trip to a Brooklyn toy and magic shop has since escalated into a fight involving competing Instagram statements, leaked CCTV footage, accusations of online harassment, and claims staff have been put "in danger".
It's also, somehow, left the world's "most famous" singing bird with a new US$15 million ($21.4 million) price tag.
The saga began when Clarkson visited Art of Play — a toy, games and magic shop in Brooklyn.
Among the items on display was Molly, a handcrafted singing and dancing animatronic bird mounted on a wall inside the shop.
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Not long after leaving, the Grammy-winning singer made a post on X claiming she'd felt judged by staff while trying to make a purchase.
"Just drove all the way to Brooklyn to check out this store I thought looked really rad and had a few things in mind to buy and literally was looked at as if I couldn't afford it," Clarkson wrote.
Clarkson compared the experience to a famous scene from the film Pretty Woman, in which Julia Roberts' character is dismissed by sales assistants in an upmarket boutique.
"Y'all should go check out Art of Play in Brooklyn if you enjoy being treated like Julia Roberts' character in Pretty Woman," she said.
At the centre of the disagreement was Molly, which Clarkson says she wanted to buy despite the item's US$15,000 ($21,400) price tag.
"[I] was told he could find something comparable for me," Clarkson said.
Art of Play disputed Clarkson's version of events and said there had been a misunderstanding.
In a statement posted on Instagram, the store said Molly was never available for purchase because she served as a mascot and fixture of the store.
5News aggregated this summary from the outlet’s public feed. The full article, with all the context, is on www.sbs.com.au — the content belongs to SBS News - Latest.
