Adam Rubin, co-owner of Brooklyn curiosity shop Art of Play, has raised the price of a mechanical singing bird from $15,000 to $15 million following a viral dispute with Kelly Clarkson.
Rubin, 44, told The Post on Tuesday that the item’s value skyrocketed because “in the past 72 hours, Molly, a singing bird automaton, has become the most famous singing bird automaton in the world.” The Brooklyn store has been flooded with hateful phone calls, threats, and text messages since Clarkson’s tweets about the Saturday incident went viral.
Clarkson, 44, visited the shop on Saturday and inquired about purchasing Molly, as seen in security camera footage. According to the store’s Instagram statement Monday, the “American Idol” alum was told the bird was “permanently attached to the wall” and “owned by the creator of the machines, a brilliant artist named Bliss Kolb who lives in Seattle.” She was offered the opportunity to buy the bird for $15,000 or take a similar one home that day for $2,000 instead, but promptly exited.
The “Voice” coach dubbed the interaction a “Pretty Woman” moment in a scathing tweet Saturday, referencing the 1990 Julia Roberts film in which her Vivian Ward character is snubbed at an expensive store. She has since blasted the associate she dealt with as “condescending” and argued against the establishment’s “narrative” of how the interaction went down.
Rubin accused the Grammy winner of “asymmetrical social warfare” in his conversation with The Post on Tuesday.
“We have to reconsider the place we give celebrities in our society,” he raged. “This is not how you can behave as a citizen in the world, like, if you are this famous and powerful and you try to squash someone like a bug.”
He speculated the songwriter became “pissed” due to not receiving the “special treatment” she’s used to from employees.
“If you have the impression that she’s some down to earth, sweetheart, Midwestern gal, you’ve go got to ask yourself, how do you explain the action she took this weekend?” Rubin added. “The whole f–king thing is ludicrous.”
A source told The Post on Monday that the “Because of You” hitmaker “must’ve been livid” because she is generally a “chill” person.
“She’s not someone who goes around making a big deal out of nothing,” the insider continued. “She treats everyone with respect and doesn’t expect special treatment from anyone.”
Clarkson’s rep has yet to respond to The Post’s request for comment.
The Brooklyn store’s Instagram statement Monday emphasized that they offer “something for everyone” and defended their handling of the interaction with the Grammy-winning artist.
Rubin’s dramatic price hike to eight figures appears designed to capitalize on the media frenzy surrounding the dispute, transforming a niche mechanical bird into a symbol of his broader critique of celebrity entitlement.
The “Since U Been Gone” singer is preparing to depart her daytime talk show, with her final episodes scheduled to tape in the coming months before the show ends its run.