Inside Kelly Clarkson’s ‘Pretty Woman’-style feud with small Brooklyn business

Kelly Clarkson sparked a bitter public feud with a small Brooklyn business after accusing the store of treating her like Julia Roberts’ character in “Pretty Woman.” But the shop owners have since hit back — claiming that Clarkson omitted key details from the awkward exchange.

The “Since U Been Gone” singer blasted the magic shop, Art of Play, in an incendiary X post on Sunday after visiting the Brooklyn Heights brick and mortar, which sells collectables like luxury playing cards, puzzles and other bewitching toys and gadgets.

“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,” she wrote in the post.

“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 added.

Clarkson was referencing the iconic scene in which Roberts’ character, Vivian Ward, a Hollywood hooker swept into a lavish new lifestyle by wealthy businessman Edward Lewis (Richard Gere), attempts to splurge at a swanky Rodeo Drive boutique — only to be snubbed by snooty saleswomen who turn their noses up at her appearance.

In response to Clarkson and a barrage of hate comments from her fans, store owners released a statement claiming that the item Clarkson wanted to purchase — a large mechanical bird — was never actually for sale.

“Yesterday, Kelly Clarkson visited us in Brooklyn and inquired about buying ‘Molly,’ a one-of-a-kind singing and dancing bird automaton who plays an important role in the magic shows we host here,” the shop wrote on X Sunday.

“Molly is permanently attached to the wall and isn’t for sale.”

But Clarkson wasn’t about to “Walk Away” from the drama and responded by calling the store’s claims a lie — including photo evidence that the bird in question had a price tag.

“Cool, cool. Sure, it wasn’t for sale. That’s the narrative Art of Play is gonna go with 👍,” she wrote on X, continuing, “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.’

“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 ✅.”

Clarkson shared a photo of the robotic bird mounted on a wall beside what appeared to be a $15,000 price tag, though the image was too pixelated for Page Six to independently verify the price listed.

The “American Idol” alum, 44, also defended herself for going after a mom-and-pop shop.

“And by the way, I obviously support small businesses because I was literally at a small business trying to purchase things,” she wrote. “I love small businesses and know they are important and I always support them, but you don’t get a free pass to treat people less than in your store just because you are a small business.”

The “From Justin to Kelly” star ended her post by preaching that “it’s not that hard to be kind.”

“I never blast people but you my friend were an exception,” she wrote, concluding, “Your store is really cool. Unfortunately, you aren’t.”

The store’s owners, however, had a very different story to tell — and took to social media to “clarify” their previous statement with additional details about Clarkson’s brief visit to their shop.

“During the 5 minutes she spent in the store, she inquired about our mechanical bird puppet named Molly,” they wrote. “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.

“He told us he would be willing to part with Molly’s twin for $15,000. We explained all of this to Kelly Clarkson.”

The store claimed they had offered to show Clarkson a “different singing bird automaton,” which was manufactured by a traditional clockmaking store in Germany. This bird, they said, was available for purchase and Clarkson could leave with the product that same day.

The store claimed their employee offered to show Clarkson a “different singing bird automaton” made by a traditional German clockmaker. This bird, they said, was available for purchase and could be taken home that very day for $2,000.

“She did not stick around long enough to see it,” the store said.

The shop told followers that they have since tried to reach out directly to the singer in an effort to “try and clear the air.”

“We really do wish her the best and hope that someday we can all laugh about this misunderstanding,” they wrote.

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A source exclusively told Page Six that Clarkson’s fiery reaction to the store’s alleged treatment of her was a rare departure from the “Since U Been Gone” artist’s typically easygoing demeanor.

“Kelly is seriously one of the most down-to-earth, chill people you could ever meet,” the insider told us Monday, adding that she is “genuinely one of the nicest people ever.”

“She’s so approachable and has never let any of the fame get to her head. She treats everyone with respect and doesn’t expect special treatment from anyone,” the insider added.

We’re told that Clarkson must have been extremely upset to go through the effort of publicly dragging the store online.

“If she’s actually calling out a store publicly, she must’ve been livid,” the insider said. “You know something must have really bothered her because that’s just not who she is.”

“She’s not someone who goes around making a big deal out of nothing,” the source said. “She’s just a really good, normal person who happens to be incredibly famous.”

Clarkson and the store’s co-owners — twin magicians Dan Buck and Dave Buck and children’s book author Adam Rubin — did not respond to Page Six’s requests for comment.

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