The Birdgate controversy has reached NBC, with fans now calling for Kelly Clarkson to be removed from The Voice.
A Change.org petition launched October 15 is urging the network to drop the former American Idol winner from the upcoming live shows and prevent her from returning in the future.
The campaign stems from Clarkson’s viral dispute with Brooklyn curiosity shop Art of Play. What began as a five-minute visit involving a particularly expensive mechanical bird has since spiraled into days of accusations, surveillance footage analyses and reported death threats.
The petition claims Clarkson escalated a minor dispute by sharing it with millions of followers. “The Voice is built around mentorship, professionalism, and respect,” the campaign states. “Kelly Clarkson’s conduct in this controversy is inconsistent with those values.”
NBC has yet to comment on the controversy. As of this writing, Clarkson remains one of the show’s current coaches alongside Adam Levine, Queen Latifah, and Riley Green.
The campaign also brings a touch of humor to the situation. Its description jokes that Molly, the handcrafted singing bird at the center of the drama, has generated “more drama than an entire season of reality television” and deserves a show of her own.
fAIkout AI, the petition’s creator, set a rather modest goal, promising to call two signatures “a historic landslide victory for Molly and the entire animatronic bird community.”
However, the humor comes alongside a serious allegation from Art of Play, which says the backlash left its employees fearing for their safety.
Co-owner Adam Rubin said Clarkson’s fans flooded the business with hateful messages, angry phone calls, and death threats after the singer identified the shop online.
“We are legitimately worried about the safety of our shopkeepers,” he said.
Rubin also told USA Today that neighbors had been doxxed and that one person entered the store accusing employees of racially profiling Clarkson.
The increased attention brought more customers and boosted sales, prompting Rubin to list Molly—the bird the store initially said was unavailable—for $15 million.
Clarkson sparked Birdgate after visiting Art of Play on October 10. She claimed an employee looked at her as though she couldn’t afford Molly and offered to find something “comparable,” giving her what she described as the Pretty Woman treatment.
The store, however, maintained that Molly was permanently attached to its wall and used during its magic shows.
According to Art of Play, the nearby $15,000 price tag referred to a custom bird available through its creator, Bliss Kolb. Staff also reportedly offered to show Clarkson a $2,000 alternative made in Germany.
Clarkson later shared a photo of the price tag, describing the employee as “rude” and “a liar.”
Then journalist Pablo Torre entered the picture with surveillance footage. He released silent security video documenting Clarkson’s entire four-minute-and-50-second visit, showing her browsing, examining a kaleidoscope, speaking with an employee near Molly, and gesturing toward a cashier before leaving.
The Pulitzer Prize winner also revealed that he had purchased two mechanical birds encased in glass, which he promptly named Julia and Robert. “We’re going to auction off Julia and Robert,” Torre announced, adding that the fundraiser would support glioblastoma research through the Kira Fund.
