Paul Rudd visits Art of Play days after Kelly Clarkson feud

Paul Rudd has stopped by Art of Play, the Brooklyn magic and games shop at the centre of Kelly Clarkson's viral feud. The Ant-Man star visited the store on Wednesday, 21 October, days after Clarkson called it out. He was photographed looking in, and appeared to be checking out the displays, as E! News put it, to 'assemble' his own opinion. Outlets published photos of Rudd peeking into the shop and walking down the street in Brooklyn. It is not clear from the photos whether he went inside, bought anything or said anything. The feud began on 10 October, when Clarkson posted on X that she had driven to Brooklyn to check out the store. She wrote that she was looked at as though she couldn't afford it, and was told a staff member could find something comparable. She compared the experience to the treatment of Julia Roberts' character in Pretty Woman. The post drew more than 43 million views. Art of Play replied that she had asked about 'Molly', a one-of-a-kind singing and dancing automaton bird used in its magic shows and not for sale. It later called the episode a 'misunderstanding' and said it had reached out to Clarkson. The store's co-owner, Adam Rubin, said Clarkson's post had put staff 'in danger' and that people were being threatened on the street. The store said the artist who created Molly was willing to sell her a matching bird for $15,000. Clarkson replied on X, 'So you're not only rude, you're also a liar.' Security footage later released by podcaster Pablo Torre showed her in the store for about five minutes. The row has become a talking point, and Reba McEntire said she heard about it from her Happy's Place co-star Melissa Peterman.