Kelly Clarkson's $15,000 Bird Row Draws 'Champagne Problem' Rebuke From The View's Sunny Hostin

Kelly Clarkson's dispute with a Brooklyn shop over a $15,000 (£11,300) mechanical bird has drawn criticism from Sunny Hostin, who questioned why the singer took her complaint to social media.

Speaking on The View on Monday, 12 October, Hostin described the row with Art of Play as a 'champagne problem' and suggested Clarkson should have addressed her concerns privately. The discussion followed a weekend exchange in which Clarkson accused the shop of treating her dismissively, while the business disputed her account.

Hostin Questions the Public Call-Out

'It felt like a champagne problem, to me, that should have been handled kind of privately,' Hostin said, according to TheWrap's account of the broadcast.

She suggested speaking to a manager about an upsetting shopping experience, particularly when a celebrity's public criticism could affect a small business. Hostin also qualified her rebuke. She said she did not consider the disagreement a reflection of Clarkson's character or that of the shop's employees.

Ana Navarro raised a similar concern about the imbalance between a celebrity with millions of followers and the people working at a business. Sara Haines questioned whether the escalating exchanges were still aimed at finding a solution.

Alyssa Farah Griffin expressed sympathy for the frustration of being treated rudely but criticised the back-and-forth. The panel's discussion centred on how the complaint was handled, rather than establishing whose version of the encounter was correct.

Why the $15,000 Price Tag Matters

Clarkson first complained publicly on Saturday, 10 October, saying an employee at Art of Play had made her feel she could not afford the items she wanted.

She compared the experience to Pretty Woman, referencing the film's famously dismissive shop assistants.

The business responded that Molly, its singing and dancing mechanical bird, was permanently attached to the wall and was not for sale.

Clarkson challenged that explanation, sharing a photograph of a $15,000 price tag and saying an employee had quoted that price before offering to find something comparable.

'So you're not only rude, you're also a liar. Got it,' she wrote.

Clarkson also rejected the suggestion that criticising the encounter meant she did not support small businesses. Her complaint, she argued, concerned how she had been treated.

The Shop Says Another Bird Was Available

In a further statement on Monday, Art of Play offered a more detailed explanation of the price.

The shop said Molly remained a permanent fixture, but a nearly identical bird belonged to its Seattle-based creator, Bliss Kolb, who was willing to sell it for $15,000. It maintained that staff had explained this distinction to Clarkson.

The business also said it offered to show her a different singing bird, made by a German clockmaking shop and priced at approximately $2,000, but that she left before seeing it.

Art of Play said it had contacted Clarkson directly and hoped the disagreement could eventually be laughed off as a misunderstanding.

That clarification addressed why a price could be discussed even if Molly itself was unavailable. It did not settle Clarkson's separate allegation that the employee's manner had been condescending.

Hostin, meanwhile, ended on a conciliatory note: 'I hope Kelly gets that bird.'