Key Takeaways
- Kelly Clarkson’s experience: She faced poor treatment at a Brooklyn store, reminiscent of a scene from Pretty Woman.
- Social media response: Clarkson shared her experience on social media, criticizing the store’s staff.
- Store’s defense: Art of Play responded with customer testimonials supporting their service.
- Clarkson’s career updates: She announced the end of her talk show and discussed her return to The Voice.
Kelly Clarkson had a real-life Pretty Woman moment, and she’s not keeping quiet about it.
The 44-year-old superstar took to social media on Saturday (Oct. 10) to call out a Brooklyn store for allegedly treating her poorly in a scene reminiscent of the 1990 romantic comedy starring Julia Roberts and Richard Gere.
“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,” Clarkson wrote on X.
“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 .”
The “Since U Been Gone” singer, who moved to New York in 2023, was referencing a memorable scene in Pretty Woman in which Roberts’ character, Vivian Ward, is snubbed by sales associates at an upscale store who refuse to show her more expensive items because of how she’s dressed.
Later in the film, Vivian returns dressed to impress and carrying shopping bags from other stores. She delivers a pointed message to the sales associate who dismissed her: “Big mistake. Big. Huge.”
Shortly after Clarkson’s post, Art of Play seemingly responded through Instagram Stories by sharing messages from customers defending the store. One wrote, “Can’t speak to everyone else’s experience, but @artofplay has been quite welcoming during every one of my visits. Let’s all extend a bit of grace to each other.” Another added, “For what it’s worth I think @artofplay is a great store!”
In February, Clarkson announced she would end her Daytime Emmy-winning talk show, The Kelly Clarkson Show, after seven seasons to “prioritize my kids, which feels necessary and right for this next chapter of our lives.” The series finale aired in August, featuring a special Kellyoke performance of “Golden” from KPop Demon Hunters, along with her hits “Since U Been Gone” and “Stronger.”
During a late-September appearance on Late Night With Seth Meyers, Clarkson discussed her return to The Voice for season 30, describing the experience of reuniting with original coach Adam Levine and new coaches Queen Latifah and country singer Riley Green as “seamless.”
Clarkson’s most recent album, Chemistry, arrived in 2023 and peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard 200.
