"Our experience about the situation might not resonate with you": Raven-Symoné defends Kelly Clarkson in the art store incident

Pallavi K Fri, October 16, 2026 at 7:26 AM UTC

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Kelly Clarkson - TENNIS: AUG 27 US Open ©Getty

Actress, singer, director, and talk show host Raven-Symoné is defending singer-songwriter Kelly Clarkson in the Brooklyn novelty store incident. During a recent episode of The View, Raven-Symoné said:

“I think that it’s unfair that just because she has that many followers, she is not allowed to express how she feels about what happened to her. When I was on The View back in 2016 and I explained something that made me feel disrespected on the red carpet and it went viral, ‘cause people were like, ‘Raven, that’s not what happened,’ when they looked at the video.”

The actress from That’s So Raven continued to say:

“And I would say to those watching me, and now those listening to Kelly is that our experience about the situation might not resonate the same with you the same way it resonated with us. You don’t know my past. You don’t know what I’ve been through. Kelly grew up not with a lot of money. So, if somebody is touching her trigger button about money, you don’t know how she received that.”

Raven-Symoné added that she saw Kelly Clarkson’s video from the boutique store and felt that if they “treated” her the same way they do every other customer, then “you’re telling everybody they can’t afford it,” which is a harsh judgment on the store’s part.

Meanwhile, TMZ founder Harvey Levin defended the store and claimed it was just trying to "make a sale."

Exploring Kelly Clarkson’s Brooklyn art store incident

Over the last weekend, Kelly Clarkson tweeted that the Art of Play store in Brooklyn, NYC, refused to sell her a singing-dancing toy bird priced at $15,000. The former American Idol winner wrote:

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“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. 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.”

Kelly Clarkson’s post sparked a controversy. It also prompted a response from Art of Play that said that the mechanical wooden bird, dubbed Molly, was permanently attached to the wall and was not for sale. They also released a video (without any audio) that showed her five-minute interaction with a store employee on October 10.

According to Art of Play, their staff told Clarkson that she could buy an identical bird for $15,000 or a different singing bird for $2,000, which was made in Germany. However, Kelly Clarkson allegedly declined both offers and went on her way.

“Imagine our surprise when our small local business was suddenly attacked by eight million people who have never visited our store. It's been a surreal experience to be the focus of such widespread outrage after just one mention by a celebrity,” Art of Play wrote on Instagram on October 11.

The Grammy-winning artist shared a screenshot of the post and tweeted her response via X. She wrote:

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

Kelly Clarkson continued to write:

“Okay, cool. So, you’re not only rude, but you’re also a liar. Got it. And by the way, I obviously support small businesses because I was literally at a small business trying to purchase things. 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. It’s not that hard to be kind. I never blast people, but you, my friend, were an exception. Your store is really cool. Unfortunately, you aren’t.”

According to the BBC, the toy bird is still on display at the store with an increased price tag of $15 million and a sign that reads, “World’s most famous singing bird automata!” Art of Play was reportedly vandalized in the wake of Kelly Clarkson’s online complaint. A store representative told CBS News that they were facing threats and harassment.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”