Kelly Clarkson’s viral dispute with Brooklyn curiosity shop Art of Play has produced competing stories and newly surfaced surveillance footage. Now, a body language expert believes the silent video adds another layer to the encounter.
Celebrity body language expert Inbaal Honigman examined footage from Clarkson’s October 10 visit and said her movements appeared to shift from confidence to disbelief, frustration and eventual “disgust.”
Journalist Pablo Torre, who obtained the footage, reported that Clarkson spent about 4 minutes and 50 seconds inside. The video has no audio, so Honigman’s observations are interpretations of visible behavior, not proof of what either side intended.
Kelly Clarkson Appeared Eager To Show She Could Spend
Honigman, whose analysis was commissioned by Casino.org Canada, first focused on Clarkson collecting merchandise as she moved through the store.
“When Clarkson first roams about the store, she harvests items from the shelves into her hands. This could be a nonverbal way to signal to the store proprietors that she is potentially a good customer,” Honigman said.
She added, “Especially as she piles the items upwards in a high formation, placing them one on top of the other in a way that makes it appear as if she is weighed down by the large stockpile. She’s signalling abundance, while looking around at people, checking if anyone has spotted who she is.”
The expert also noticed Clarkson making eye contact with people passing her, possibly checking whether they recognized her.
“Clarkson is making an effort to send out the message that she can definitely afford to buy stuff,” she said. “With her hands full, she walks around, making sure that everyone can see, that here walks a lady who can buy things.”
Shop Assistant Was ‘Superbly Underwhelmed,’ Expert Says
Honigman said the employee’s posture appeared dramatically more relaxed.
“The store worker walks up to Clarkson with his hot beverage still in his hand,” she explained. “When he stops by her, he sends his other hand backwards to support him as he leans upon on the back of a chair, and to top it all off, he crosses his legs at the ankles.”
“If Clarkson had expected the star treatment, she must be sorely disappointed,” Honigman continued. “The staff member’s body language is superbly underwhelmed, nonchalant to the point of indifference.”
She interpreted his cup-holding, leaning stance and crossed ankles as signs of casual confidence and possible disengagement, even suggesting he may not have recognized the singer.
That possibility lines up with store co-owner Adam Rubin’s claim that staff did not recognize Clarkson during the encounter.
Expert Says Clarkson Shifted From Interest To ‘Disbelief’
The discussion centered on Molly, the mechanical singing bird at the heart of the dispute.
Kelly Clarkson says she saw a $15,000 price tag and was treated as though she could not afford it. Art of Play maintains Molly was not for sale, although a nearly identical automaton from artist Bliss Kolb could be purchased for $15,000.
Honigman said Clarkson initially appeared engaged, pointing toward the bird and tilting her head. But she believes Clarkson’s gestures became more self-directed after the employee broadly gestured toward the display.
“The conversation is less about what’s for sale and what’s not for sale, and more about whether Clarkson can have what she wants or not,” she said. “The object of the discussion is Clarkson, not the tin bird.”
Honigman also focused on Clarkson putting a fist beneath her head.
“Her fist under the head could indicate objection: Clarkson doesn’t like what she hears,” she said. “But more than that, the fact that her gesture is turned towards herself means that in her mind, the conversation has turned from a query about a shop item into a discussion about her right to buy what she likes.”
When Clarkson looked back at the wall and broke eye contact, Honigman interpreted it as disbelief and disengagement before the singer pointed toward the item again.
“This suggests disbelief: how could she possibly be denied something she wanted?” Honigman explained. “She’s no longer engaged.”
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Kelly Clarkson’s Exit Allegedly Showed ‘Disgust’
The footage then shows Clarkson returning the items she had collected.
“When Clarkson puts back her wares on the shelves, no longer interested in purchasing them, she clenches her hands as if trying to clean them, like they’re dirty,” Honigman said. “This shows that she feels disgusted with what just happened.”
Honigman also noted Clarkson keeping her palms upward, which she interpreted as a sign she still had something to say and wanted cooperation.
“We can’t hear what anyone is saying, but we can see Clarkson waiting as she heads out until a few people are looking at her, and then she makes her final speech while pointing at herself again,” she said. “Just at the door, she uses pushing motions to indicate that she is setting a boundary.”
Rubin previously claimed Clarkson made a pointed remark before leaving, alleging she told a shopkeeper, “You know, I’m never coming here again.” However, the surveillance footage itself cannot verify those words because it contains no audio.
Silent Video Still Cannot Settle The Kelly Clarkson Feud
Kelly Clarkson originally said Art of Play gave her the “Pretty Woman” treatment, claiming an employee looked at her as though she could not afford Molly and offered to find her something “comparable.”
The store countered that Molly was permanently attached to the wall and used in its magic shows, while employees were trying to explain other options. Clarkson later posted a photo showing the $15,000 display tag and accused the business of lying about their conversation.
The disagreement has since grown far beyond the brief shopping trip. Rubin has claimed Art of Play endured review bombing, harassment, threats and safety concerns after Clarkson named the store publicly.
Still, Rubin has since softened at least one aspect of the standoff, telling PEOPLE that Clarkson is “welcome anytime” at Art of Play. The business has also leaned into Molly’s unexpected celebrity by jokingly raising the famous bird’s price from $15,000 to $15 million.
Honigman’s analysis offers one reading of Clarkson’s visible reactions, but the missing audio means the mystery surrounding those minutes remains unresolved.
