Mechanical Bird At Center Of Kelly Clarkson Controversy Now Costs $15 Million As Brooklyn Shop Owner Claims Clarkson Put Employees 'In Danger'

Just when you thought the Kelly Clarkson and Art of Play saga couldn't get any messier, the mechanical bird at the center of it all now has a $15 million asking price.

Her name is Molly, and before anyone starts questioning the price of birdseed, she's a handcrafted singing and dancing automaton by Seattle artist Bliss Kolb. One of just two, no less. Still, that's quite the leap from the $15,000 price tag that sparked this entire spectacle.

Check out the now million-dollar bird in question:

Inflation be damned when that bird is in demand.

And for anyone who hasn't kept up with this feathered foolishness, here's the short version. Clarkson visited Brooklyn's Art of Play on October 10, took an interest in Molly, and left feeling like she'd wandered into the wrong side of Pretty Woman.

Accusing the shop of treating her like she couldn't afford its merchandise, Clarkson took her complaint to X:

Not the invitation to visit the store, complete with a judgmental thumbs-down emoji. That's certainly one way to recommend a small business.

Art of Play, however, had a rather different version of events:

Art of Play isn't your typical gift shop. The Brooklyn curiosity store also hosts after-hours magic shows, with Molly reportedly serving as the opening act. The shop maintains that she was a permanent fixture, and the $15,000 price tag was meant to gauge interest, not advertise a sale.

A nearly identical bird was available through the artist, while a different $2,000 automaton was also offered to Clarkson, according to the shop.

But Clarkson wasn't buying that explanation either. The singer fired back with a photo of the price tag, accusing the shop of being both rude and dishonest.

She even doubled down on X, this time with a photo to back up her complaint:

At this point, both sides have presented their receipts, and somehow, we're no closer to figuring out who deserves the shadiest side-eye.

Clarkson has a photo of the price tag. Art of Play has an explanation for it. And journalist Pablo Torre has surveillance footage, released on October 13, because this bird dispute apparently requires a full investigation.

Entertainment Tonight shared a closer look at the encounter:

- YouTubeEntertainment Tonight

Unfortunately, the footage has no audio, so nobody's case is getting any "Stronger." Crisis PR expert Evan Nierman also told TODAY the shop made serious missteps, suggesting it could've sold Clarkson the displayed bird and replaced it.

But Art of Play co-owner Adam Rubin says the real problem isn't the bird anymore. It's the threats and harassment he alleges followed Clarkson's public callout.

Rubin had plenty more to get off his chest during an interview with TMZ:

And as for Molly's sudden $15 million valuation? Rubin has attributed the increase to popular demand, which is certainly one way to capitalize on a controversy.

As expected, the store owner tripled down in another interview with USA Today:

That's quite the escalation, even by celebrity feud standards.

Needless to say, Clarkson may have had a legitimate complaint, and Rubin may have every reason to be furious about the fallout. But there's a difference between calling out bad customer service and putting a small business in front of millions of people who weren't even there. That's a lot of firepower for a five-minute shopping trip.

Then again, the shop's $15 million clapback isn't exactly putting out the flames.

And the comment sections? Oh, they had plenty to say about all of it:

Clarkson has yet to publicly respond to the surveillance footage or Molly's new $15 million asking price as of October 15. She's currently coaching Season 30 of The Voice alongside Adam Levine and Queen Latifah, while the internet continues dissecting her Brooklyn shopping trip.

Is this the most important controversy of the year? Not even close. Have I been following every plot twist? Absolutely. Marie Kondo would understand. Rich people's mess sparks joy. And shoutout to Molly, who never asked for any of this.