Brooklyn novelty shop puts mechanical bird Molly up for $15 million after dispute with Kelly Clarkson

Brooklyn novelty shop Art of Play said on Tuesday that the mechanical bird known as Molly can be bought for $15 million, reversing an earlier statement that the piece was not for sale. Co-owner Adam Rubin confirmed the price during a brief press gathering outside the Atlantic Avenue store.

The change follows a weekend controversy after singer Kelly Clarkson posted on social media that she was turned away when she inquired about purchasing Molly. Clarkson claimed the store told her the bird was not for sale and suggested she could not afford it, while the shop’s Sunday post said the automaton is permanently attached to a wall and therefore unavailable.

Art of Play later clarified that a similar automaton owned by creator Bliss Kolb could be sold for $15,000 and that a different bird priced at $2,000 was also offered, but Clarkson left the store before seeing it. Rubin described the incident as a “misunderstanding” and said the shop has faced harassment and threats since the episode.

"Kelly Clarkson has put us in danger," Rubin said, adding that the shop has turned off its phone line due to a surge in calls and that customers are being “doxed” and threatened.

Rubin emphasized that Molly is a one-of-a-kind fine-art piece that takes years to create, and that the decision to price it at $15 million reflects the bird’s newfound fame. The shop has not received a comment from Clarkson.