Kelly Clarkson Faces 'The Voice' Removal Petition as 'Birdgate' Shop Owner Says Staff Fear for Their Safety

A Change.org petition is urging NBC to remove Kelly Clarkson from The Voice after the co-owner of Brooklyn shop Art of Play said staff feared for their safety following the singer's posts about a dispute there. Clarkson visited the shop on 10 October 2026. Complex reported that the petition launched on 15 October, while its Change.org page says it was created on 16 October.

The disagreement centres on Molly, a mounted mechanical bird at the shop. Clarkson said an employee treated her as though she could not afford it and offered to find something 'comparable.' Art of Play disputes her account.

The dispute has since prompted a petition aimed at NBC. Its description mixes a call for action with jokes about the bird and the campaign's chances of success.

Kelly Clarkson Petition Calls for Action From NBC

The petition asks NBC to remove Clarkson from The Voice's upcoming live shows and not invite her back for future seasons. It invokes the programme's values of 'mentorship, professionalism, and respect,' arguing that those standards should apply beyond contestants. That is the campaign's position, not an announced decision by the network.

The petition was started by fAIkout AI. Its description jokes that Molly has caused more drama than a season of reality television and says two signatures would count as a 'historic landslide victory'. Change.org showed a verified-signature total when reviewed, but the figure can change and is not needed to explain the petition's demand.

Complex reported that NBC had not commented and that Clarkson remained a coach alongside Adam Levine, Queen Latifah and Riley Green. The petition's existence does not establish that NBC is considering removing her or changing its plans for the programme.

Clarkson later posted a photograph of a price tag and described an employee as 'rude' and 'a liar', according to Complex. She said she had received the 'Pretty Woman treatment,' her description of how she felt she had been treated during the visit.

Art of Play Disputes Clarkson's Account

Art of Play says Molly is fixed to the shop wall and used in its magic shows. The business said the $15,000 (approximately £11,250) tag referred to a similar custom bird available through creator Bliss Kolb.

It also said staff offered to show Clarkson a German-made alternative priced at about $2,000 (approximately £1,500). Clarkson's account differs: she said an employee pointed to the tag beside Molly while offering to find something comparable.

Journalist Pablo Torre later released silent security footage of the visit. Complex reported that it runs for four minutes and 50 seconds and shows Clarkson browsing, looking at a kaleidoscope, speaking with an employee near Molly and gesturing towards a cashier before leaving. Without audio, the recording cannot establish what was said.

The footage shows the length and visible sequence of the encounter. It cannot, on its own, settle whether Clarkson was dismissed or whether the employee made the offer she described.

Art of Play co-owner Adam Rubin told Complex that Clarkson's posts led to hateful messages, angry calls and death threats. 'We are legitimately worried about the safety of our shopkeepers,' he said. Complex also reported that Rubin told USA Today that neighbours had been doxxed and that one person entered the shop accusing staff of racial profiling. These are claims attributed to Rubin in the reporting.

Complex reported that the attention brought the store increased sales and foot traffic. Rubin also put Molly on the market for $15 million (approximately £11.3 million). The asking price does not resolve the differing accounts of the visit or the safety concerns Rubin described.

Torre said he bought two mechanical birds under glass and planned to auction them for glioblastoma research through the Kira Fund. He named them Julia and Robert, according to Complex. The disagreement remains unresolved in the reporting reviewed, and Complex said NBC had not publicly responded.

The petition records a campaign's demand for NBC to act. It does not indicate that the network has made a decision.