Updated

Updated · Fox News · Oct 14

Brooklyn Shop Says Clarkson Backlash Endangered Business as Bird Price Jumps 1,000-Fold to $15 Million

Updated

Updated · Fox News · Oct 14

Brooklyn Shop Says Clarkson Backlash Endangered Business as Bird Price Jumps 1,000-Fold to $15 Million

Q: Will Kelly Clarkson finally intervene after her online rant triggered severe threats and doxxing against a local business?

It is unclear whether Kelly Clarkson will intervene, and as of the latest reporting she has not publicly done so. The known facts are that Clarkson’s posts about Art of Play went viral, and the Brooklyn shop says the fallout escalated well beyond criticism into threats, doxxing, hostile calls and emails, review-bombing and harassment of employees, neighbors and supporters. Co-owner Adam Rubin says the store even shut off its phone and fears for the shop’s safety. Clarkson has publicly maintained that she was treated condescendingly when she asked about the mechanical bird and has disputed the store’s account, calling it inaccurate. Art of Play, meanwhile, says the bird itself was not for sale, that a similar piece could be obtained from the artist for about $15,000, and that staff also offered to show her a less expensive alternative. The shop says it has privately reached out to Clarkson to clear the air and would still welcome her back. Whether she intervenes will likely depend on whether she chooses to address the harassment directly, such as urging followers to stop targeting the business. Public figures sometimes do that when online backlash becomes dangerous, but there is no indication yet that Clarkson has issued such a message. So the immediate answer is no, not yet. The pressure on her to respond has increased because the dispute has shifted from a customer-service argument into a safety issue for a small business.

1 articles · Updated · Fox News · Oct 14

Adam Rubin, co-owner of Brooklyn’s Art of Play, said Kelly Clarkson’s viral posts left the shop fearing for its safety, with supporters allegedly threatened and doxed.
Rubin called Clarkson’s response an abuse of celebrity power after she accused staff of treating her as if she could not afford a $15,000 mechanical bird.
Molly, the singing bird at the center of the dispute, now carries a $15 million sign—1,000 times the original figure—though Rubin said the wall-mounted automaton is still not for sale.
The store says employees had offered Clarkson a nearly identical bird by artist Bliss Kolb and also had another automaton priced around $2,000, framing the clash as a misunderstanding.
Rubin, who said he returned to work while recovering from facial cancer surgery because of safety concerns, still said Clarkson would be welcome back.