In July, Kristin Cabot, 53, the head of HR at data‑operations firm Astronomer, was caught on a Coldplay concert’s kiss cam hugging her then‑CEO Andy Byron. The clip went viral on TikTok and forced both executives to resign.
The Incident
The embrace took place at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. Cabot told The New York Times that she and Byron had not kissed before that night. She said, “I made a bad decision and had a couple of High Noons and danced and acted inappropriately with my boss,” and added that she had taken accountability and given up her career for the outcome.
During the show, lead singer Chris Martin joked to the crowd: “Oh, look at these two. You’re all right. You’re OK. Oh, what? Either they’re having an affair or they’re just very shy.”
Fallout and Resignation
Both Cabot and Byron stepped down after the video surfaced. Astronomer attempted to defuse the situation by hiring Gwyneth Paltrow, the ex‑wife of Chris Martin, as its temporary spokesperson. A video featuring Paltrow was released on July 25.
Cabot filed a petition for divorce from her husband Andrew Cabot in August, the same month the viral moment was widely shared. She said she had discovered on the way to the concert that her now‑former husband would also be attending, which added to her distress.
Personal Impact
The viral clip triggered death threats, one of which Cabot played for her mother on speakerphone and was overheard by her children. She recalled, “They were already in really bad shape, and that’s when the wheels fell off the cart,” and said her kids were afraid she might die.
Cabot drove to Boston to talk with her children, who were staying with their father. Her 14‑year‑old daughter cried when Cabot explained the situation. She told the kids, “He and I got very swept up in a moment and now it’s on social media,” and added that she had been shunned by many former friends and close colleagues, describing the isolation as “worse than people yelling at me at the gas station.”
She added, “I didn’t know what to do to support my kids correctly,” and said the scandal is something she lives with every day, including strangers approaching her and scolding her in public while she is with her children.
Key Takeaways
- Both Cabot and Byron resigned after the kiss cam clip went viral.
- Cabot filed for divorce in August and faced death threats linked to the incident.
- Astronomer hired Gwyneth Paltrow as a temporary spokesperson and released a related video on July 25.
The story first appeared on TODAY.com and highlights how a single moment can ripple through personal, professional, and public spheres.
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