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But now, Art of Play’s co-founder Adam Rubin has opened up to reporters about the fallout.
“Kelly Clarkson has put us all in danger,” he told USA Today, expressing further concern for the shopkeepers and neighbours, who he claims have been doxxed.
“We didn’t know this was going to happen, but Kelly Clarkson did [...] this is an insane misunderstanding, nothing happened in this shop to justify her scolding our shopkeeper on the way out, but I could let that go – everybody has a bad day.”
“Things changed when she used her platform to attack us. It’s asymmetrical social warfare,” he said. “We treated her like a normal person, but apparently that didn’t live up to her expectations.”
CCTV footage then emerged showing Clarkson's five-minute visit to the store. Wearing a yellow jumper and baggy trousers, she spends time chatting with the shopkeeper before exchanging a few words and gestures with him as she leaves.
Yashar Ali 🐘 / Via x.com
Following the backlash, Rubin announced that the bird was up for sale, with its asking price now set at $15 million.
And, of course, the internet had plenty to say about the whole thing.
people are calling the kelly clarkson/art of play thing petty or low stakes but I actually think it is very deep when a celebrity isn't willing to use their platform to speak on actual atrocities, but they're willing to double down on putting a random tiny store on blast
— 😶🌫️ (@circulartwizzle) October 12, 2026😶🌫️ / Via x.com
The one-liner that has some in a chokehold
smootoshi / Via x.com
Another described it as “repulsive”
I couldn't care less if Kelly Clarkson is telling the truth. Bragging about being rich in this economy and using your massive platform to endanger people's jobs are both repulsive no matter what.
— Chris Sosa (@ChrisSosa) October 13, 2026Chris Sosa / Via x.com
Others are baffled by the situation
Why are people bending over backwards to support Kelly Clarkson? The best case scenario (aka her version of events) is that the store insulted her by not realizing she was phenomenally wealthy.
…okay??
EmbraceThePace / Via x.com
Meanwhile, another person joked that two internet debates had collided, with the CCTV footage bringing the Kelly Clarkson saga together with the online discourse around people drinking iced coffee at work.
Shoobz / Via x.com
What do you make of the whole Molly Bird saga?
Additional thumbnail photo credit: Noam Galai (Getty Images)
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