A small store in Brooklyn, New York, says it has been hit with threatening calls, hostile messages, bad reviews, and other harassment after Kelly Clarkson criticized the business online. The store has now released surveillance footage of her visit, offering viewers a very different version of the confrontation than the one presented on social media.
One of the owners described the shop as a place where customers are welcome to browse and play, regardless of whether they purchase anything. “In the real world, where this shop exists, this is a place of magic and joy. We created this place to make people feel like kids again. Anyone that walks through the door, we invite them to sit down, pick things up and play with them. It doesn’t matter if you’re going to make a purchase. It doesn’t matter if you’re wearing sweatpants, or they’re nine years old, or they’re a celebrity that we don’t recognize; they all get treated the same way,” he said.
The owner compared Clarkson’s online criticism to a “f*cking Molotov cocktail” thrown into the store. “Kelly Clarkson’s problem is that she got to be treated like a normal person, and because of that, her ego was bruised, and she decided to throw a f*cking Molotov cocktail into our shop,” he said. That is a rather explosive description of a customer-service dispute, but the owners clearly believe the consequences have gone far beyond an unpleasant shopping experience.
Clarkson claims she wanted to purchase an expensive item but was treated “like Julia Roberts character in Pretty Woman,” referring to the movie scene in which Roberts’ character is judged at an upscale clothing store. The shop has disputed that account, saying employees treated her like any other customer. According to the store, Clarkson was told she could not buy a “permanently attached” fixture, but was offered other choices.
Surveillance footage obtained by podcaster Pablo Torre appears to show Clarkson browsing, picking up items, and considering purchases. After a casual exchange with an employee, she appears to put the items back and leave the store. While departing, she also appears to yell at another employee, creating an awkward scene as other customers giggle. The footage has fueled the store’s argument that the incident was less a case of mistreatment and more a celebrity becoming upset after receiving an ordinary answer.
The dispute grew rapidly after Clarkson’s posts received more than 50 million views. Adam Rubin, a co-owner, told TMZ that the shop is now dealing with threats and harassment from people he identifies as Clarkson’s supporters. “We are legitimately worried about the safety of our shopkeepers because Kelly Clarkson has put us all in danger at this point,” Rubin said.
Rubin said the business was receiving “thousands” of phone calls and threats. “Not just that, we’re getting review bombed, we’re getting attacked on social media, on our private social media accounts,” he said. He also alleged that friends, family members, customers, and people who posted positive comments about the shop were targeted. Rubin said one neighboring children’s art school was being doxxed as well, adding that the owners had not expected the online backlash.
Despite the pressure, Rubin said he was not planning to pursue legal action or retaliate. Instead, he extended Clarkson an “open invitation” to return for a magic show, though he asked that she provide notice because of the attention that follows her. Rubin said he has sympathy for the pressure surrounding Clarkson, but called the response “a reprehensible abuse of power” and “asymetrical social warfare.” A toy-store dispute turning into threats, review attacks, and alleged doxxing is quite a price to pay for one bruised celebrity ego.
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