Body language expert Sean Johns has shared his insights regarding Kelly Clarkson’s leaked security footage amid her ongoing conflict with the Brooklyn store, Art of Play. This footage was featured on the October 13 episode of Pablo Torre’s podcast, where it showed Clarkson in the store discussing a mechanical bird named Molly, which is priced at $15,000. Clarkson has claimed that the employee made her feel as if she couldn’t afford the item, while the store stated that the bird on display was not for sale.
The security footage is approximately four minutes and 50 seconds long and lacks audio, according to Bored Panda. It depicts Clarkson exploring Art of Play, playing with a kaleidoscope, and stopping in front of Molly. Johns, the founder of Bodylytics, explained to Tyla that in the early part of the video, Clarkson seemed engaged in her shopping. He noted that facial expressions do not reveal decision-making, while hand movements do. An undecided shopper might pick up and put down items, while a certain shopper will hold onto them as if they already belong to them.
Johns pointed out the significance of Clarkson pausing in front of Molly, stating that such a pause indicates a moment when assistance is crucial. He also analyzed the employee’s body language, mentioning that a crossed leg and a lean suggest he was settled and that the interaction would not take long. The expert remarked on the coffee cup the employee was holding, which he saw as a small barrier between them. He explained that while the cup alone is benign, in this context, it indicated low engagement during a conversation about an expensive product.
Later in the footage, Johns noted that the employee appeared to shift his attention to another customer. While this could be expected in a busy store, he suggested Clarkson might have interpreted it as a sign that their conversation was over. The footage then shows Clarkson putting back the items she had selected and moving toward the exit, but she turned back and seemed to gesture towards the employee before leaving. Johns remarked that when someone is done, they typically walk out without turning back, and her looking back indicated that something was unresolved.
Outside, a different camera captured her pulling out her phone. However, Johns clarified that the footage does not confirm Clarkson’s claim about the employee looking her up and down, stating that such a glance would last less than a second and that the ceiling camera could not capture it clearly enough to provide evidence in either direction.
The conflict involving Clarkson has led to comparisons between her and Ellen DeGeneres. A source close to Clarkson informed the Daily Mail that they were surprised by the situation, describing her as always kind and expressing concern that she might turn into someone like DeGeneres, who faced accusations of creating a toxic workplace on her talk show, which ended in 2022 after 19 seasons. Another insider mentioned that Clarkson had previously criticized DeGeneres’s behavior, noting that she had stated she would never treat people poorly. Some critics have labeled Clarkson as a “Karen,” a term often used to describe someone perceived as entitled or rude.
What are your thoughts on the situation involving Kelly Clarkson and the Art of Play store?
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Source: Bored Panda, by Analice Couto