A New York design boutique has highlighted praise from a satisfied customer after Kelly Clarkson accused one of its employees of treating her unfairly during a recent visit.
The 44-year-old American Idol winner said Saturday that a staff member at Art of Play made her feel as though she could not afford the store’s merchandise, comparing the experience to a memorable scene from Pretty Woman.
In the 1990 movie, Julia Roberts portrays a sex worker who is turned away from an upscale Beverly Hills clothing store by judgmental employees.
After Clarkson’s complaint circulated online, the Brooklyn-based shop appeared to respond indirectly by reposting an enthusiastic customer review on its Instagram Stories. The message said: “From the very first time I walked into @artofplay, I felt welcomed and treated with such genuine kindness. I love discovering unique treasures and connecting with the wonderful people there.
“[Art of Play is] a place that leaves you smiling and wanting to come back. I’m already counting down the days until I return in two weeks.” The Instagram Story was later removed.
The business shared another supportive customer post on Sunday. It read: “For what it’s worth, I think @artofplay is a great store!”
The New York design shop criticized by Kelly Clarkson appeared to respond to the singer’s fiery social media post
The 44-year-old singer alleged Saturday that she was treated unfairly by staff at Art of Play, pictured above (Source: Art of Play/Yelp)
The Daily Mail said it contacted Art of Play for comment, but the store has not yet responded.
Clarkson initially wrote online that she had “drove all the way to Brooklyn” because she had several items in mind to purchase from the store.
Once she arrived, however, the singer said she was treated as if she did not have enough money to shop there.
She described the employee who helped her as “a huge idiot” and added, “You just lost a huge sale.”
Clarkson then invoked the famous Pretty Woman moment in which Julia Roberts’ character is dismissively rejected by staff at a luxury retailer.
“But y’all should go check out Art of Play in Brooklyn if you enjoy being treated like Julia Roberts’ character in Pretty Woman,” she wrote sarcastically.
Clarkson has a daughter, River, 12, and a son, Remy, 10, with her late former husband, Brandon Blackstock. He died of melanoma at age 48 in August 2025.
In February, Clarkson announced that she would leave her daytime program, The Kelly Clarkson Show, after seven years so she could devote more time to her children.
During an appearance on Today soon after the announcement, Clarkson addressed the decision and acknowledged that stepping away from her namesake talk show had been difficult.
On Sunday, Art of Play reposted a customer’s message praising the store: “For what it’s worth, I think @artofplay is a great store!” (Source: Art of Play/Instagram)
Clarkson previously said she “drove all the way to Brooklyn” with several purchases in mind, but claimed she was treated upon arrival as if she could not afford the store’s products
The American Idol winner compared the alleged encounter to the iconic Pretty Woman scene in which Julia Roberts’ character is turned away from an upscale shop
Clarkson shares daughter River, 12, and son Remy, 10, with her late ex-husband Brandon Blackstock, who died from melanoma at age 48 in August 2025; (Source: Kelly Clarkson Show/Instagram)
‘That’s what was really hard. The crew’s been incredible. It wasn’t that the show wasn’t doing well,’ she explained. ‘That’s what kind of sucked, it was like, everything was going well. That’s what was really hard. It was people’s jobs. We are family there as well.’
The longtime entertainer said her priority is her children as she noted, ‘Well, I think everybody probably gets the timing. Our family life, the dynamic changed a bit and it has changed for a minute now.
‘I know everybody thinks, “Oh she quit.” I’m like, I still have other jobs. I’m still doing stuff. There’s just too much on the plate. So I’m like, you know what, it’s time to kind of pull back.’
‘Losing a parent at such a young age is something no child should ever have to go through. Kelly has done everything she can to be there for River and Remy as they’ve navigated that loss,’ a source told Page Six earlier this year.
‘Her focus has been making sure they feel loved, supported and as stable as possible while giving them the space to grieve in their own way.’
Clarkson has been single since her split from Blackstock in 2020. Their divorce was finalized in 2022.
Her talk show premiered on September 9, 2019, and ran for seven successful seasons.
Last month she took to Instagram to share with her eight million followers that the show, which will conclude this fall, received 11 Daytime Emmy nominations.
‘Thank y’all so much! I’m so stoked for our whole team and feeling very blessed ❤️,’ she wrote.
