On October 10, Kelly Clarkson posted on X that she drove to Brooklyn to visit Art of Play, had a few things in mind to buy, and felt she was looked at as if she couldn’t afford them. She said a staff member offered to find something comparable. She told fans to visit if they enjoy being treated like Julia Roberts’ character in Pretty Woman.

The post set off a wave of backlash against the store, with users criticising it and leaving negative reviews. On Sunday, Art of Play responded on Instagram, saying Kelly had asked about “Molly,” a singing and dancing bird automaton. The store said Molly is permanently attached to the wall and isn’t for sale, though it added that Kelly’s described experience would resonate with anyone who has felt judged in a shop. It also wrote that its small business was suddenly attacked by 8 million people who had never visited, and closed with a nod to Kelly’s hit “Stronger”: “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”

Kelly answered the same evening. She said she had pointed to a price tag reading “Singing Bird” and asked whether it was for sale, and that the employee told her it was, for $15,000, and offered to find something comparable. She posted a screenshot of Molly’s price tag and called the store rude and a liar. She also said she supports small businesses, but that being one doesn’t give a store a free pass to treat people badly.

Art of Play then added more detail. The store said it told Kelly that a nearly identical automaton is owned by the machine’s creator, Seattle artist Bliss Kolb, who could sell it for $15,000, and that another bird costing $2,000 was available to take home that day. It said she did not stick around long enough to see it. The store also said she spent only about five minutes inside. It said it reached out to Kelly directly and hopes everyone can someday laugh about the misunderstanding.

The two sides still give conflicting accounts of the conversation. As of Monday, Kelly hasn’t responded to the second statement.