Highlights
- Director Penelope Spheeris has made a surprising allegation about Jennifer Aniston, claiming an inappropriate gift was used to humiliate her on a film set.
- Newly released security footage shows Kelly Clarkson’s visit to a Brooklyn shop at the centre of a dispute over a $15,000 mechanical bird.
- The video has no audio, leaving key details of the disagreement between Clarkson and the shop’s owners unresolved.
Jennifer Aniston is facing an unexpected allegation about her behaviour behind the scenes, while Kelly Clarkson has found herself at the centre of a growing dispute after security footage of a shopping trip emerged online.
The two stories featured in the latest episode of The Spill, which also revisited a nostalgic Hollywood moment as Julia Stiles paid tribute to her 2001 film Save the Last Dance on Dancing with the Stars.
Jennifer Aniston faces a surprising on-set allegation
Director Penelope Spheeris has accused Aniston of being behind an inappropriate gift that she believes was intended to humiliate her in front of a film crew.
Spheeris alleged that a rhinestone-covered sex toy was presented to her while she was working on Five, a 2011 anthology film featuring short stories directed by five women, including Aniston, Demi Moore, Alicia Keys and Patty Jenkins.
Spheeris said the item was delivered in a box she recognised as one Aniston had used previously. She also recalled a similar box being given to producer Marta Kauffman around the time of the Directors Guild Award nominations.
Although Aniston did not personally hand her the item, Spheeris said she believed the gift had come from the actress and described the alleged gesture as mean-spirited.
The claim has not been independently established, and the allegation remains Spheeris’s account of the incident.
Kelly Clarkson’s store dispute takes another turn
Meanwhile, newly released security footage has added another layer to the dispute between Clarkson and Art of Play, a speciality shop in Brooklyn, New York.
The controversy began after Clarkson said she felt she had been treated dismissively when she asked about buying a mechanical singing and dancing bird named Molly, reportedly associated with a $15,000 price tag.
The singer compared her experience to the shopping scene in Pretty Woman, alleging that a staff member appeared to assume she could not afford the item and suggested an alternative.
The shop’s owners disputed her account. They said Molly was attached to the wall and used in the store’s magic shows, rather than being available for immediate purchase. They explained that a similar bird could be bought from its creator for $15,000 and said they had offered to show Clarkson another model.
Clarkson challenged the shop’s explanation, insisting that the price tag was visible.
The security footage shows Clarkson browsing the shop, approaching the bird and speaking with staff before leaving. However, the video has no audio, meaning it cannot establish what was said during the exchange or settle the conflicting accounts.
The dispute has also raised concerns about the impact of online backlash on the small business. Co-owner Adam Rubin said the shop had faced harassment and threats following the controversy, expressing concern for the safety of his employees. He maintained that the staff had not mistreated Clarkson.
Julia Stiles brings back Save the Last Dance
Away from the controversies, Stiles gave fans a nostalgic moment on Dancing with the Stars by revisiting her best-known dance film.
During the show’s Super Bowl Night episode on October 13, the actress and professional partner Ezra Sosa performed a jazz routine set to Jennifer Lopez’s “Jenny From the Block”. The choreography incorporated elements of the memorable dance audition scene from Save the Last Dance.
The performance featured a surprise appearance by Stiles’s former co-star Sean Patrick Thomas, who recreated the moment from the 2001 film in which his character watches her character dance.
The reunion brought the film’s familiar scene back to the screen more than 25 years after its release, giving longtime fans a welcome dose of nostalgia.
