Kelly Clarkson Is ‘Clearly Ticked Off’ over Brooklyn Store Incident, Source Says

What began as a simple shopping trip has turned into one of the most talked-about celebrity clashes of the week. At the center of it all is a $15,000 mechanical bird named Molly.

Kelly Clarkson made headlines earlier this week after publicly airing her frustrations over what she described as an unpleasant experience at a Brooklyn store. What followed was a heated war of words between the singer and the shop on social media.

Now, those in her inner circle are weighing in on the intensity of her reaction, with one insider revealing just how irked Clarkson, 44, was by the situation.

"She's usually very private and public drama like this isn't her," the source said. "She's clearly so ticked off that she couldn't keep quiet about it. Everyone is surprised by how much this whole thing has escalated."

Clarkson first voiced her disappointment with the store, Art of Play, in a post on X on Saturday, October 10.

"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 and was told he could find something comparable for me," the "The Voice" coach wrote. "Wow, dude. You're an idiot and just lost a huge sale."

"But y'all should go check out Art of Play in Brooklyn if you enjoy being treated like Julia Roberts character in 'Pretty Woman.' For sure, check it out 👎," she concluded, referencing the iconic scene from the 1990 romcom "Pretty Woman."

In the film, Roberts' character, Vivian, visits a clothing boutique where the salesperson refuses to show her the more expensive items.

She later returns to the store dressed in nicer clothing and carrying armloads of shopping bags from other stores, pointedly telling the salesperson that she made a "Big mistake. Big. Huge."

Art of Play responded on Instagram the following day, writing in a statement that Clarkson had inquired about buying a "one-of-a-kind singing and dancing bird automaton" named Molly, who they said is "permanently attached to the wall and isn't for sale."

The store later shared a second statement, clarifying that Clarkson spent five minutes inside Art of Play and asked about Molly.

"We explained that while Molly is permanently attached to the wall and serves as a de facto mascot for our shop, a nearly identical automaton is owned by the creator of the machines, a brilliant artist named Bliss Kolb who lives in Seattle," the statement read.

"He told us he would be willing to part with Molly's twin for $15,000. We explained all of this to Kelly Clarkson," it continued.

The store also claimed that staff offered to show Clarkson a different automaton she could take home that same day for $2,000, but she "did not stick around long enough to see it."

"We've reached out to Kelly directly to try and clear the air. We really do wish her the best and hope that someday we can all laugh about this misunderstanding," the statement concluded.

Clarkson, however, wasn't ready to let it go. She took to her Instagram Stories and shared a photo of a $15,000 price tag on Molly, seemingly confirming that the bird was, in fact, for sale. "Cool, cool. Sure, it wasn't for sale. That's the narrative Art of Play is gonna go with," she wrote.

She went on, "So the whole conversation we had when I asked you if it was for sale whilst pointing to the price tag hanging on the wall with the title Singing Bird didn't happen as you elevator eyed me saying in a condescending tone 'yes, it's for sale but it costs 15,000 dollars so if you'd like me to find something comparable for you I can.'"

The singer didn't hold back on the sarcasm, adding, "That all never happened and now it's not for sale. Okay, cool. So you're not only rude, you're also a liar. Got it."