The former human resources director who became an internet sensation after an intimate moment with her boss was broadcast on a Coldplay concert kiss cam has spoken out for the first time, describing the incident as "so cliché and so bad".
The Viral Moment That Changed Everything
Kristin Cabot, 53, was Astronomer's Chief People Officer when she attended a Coldplay concert on 16 July 2025 with the company's CEO, Andy Byron. The pair were captured on the stadium's jumbotron during a 'kiss cam' segment, showing them in an embrace with Byron's arms around Cabot's waist from behind. The moment they realised they were on screen, they leapt apart in shock.
Cabot, in a wide-ranging interview with The New York Times, recalled feeling "so embarrassed and so horrified". "I'm the head of HR and he's the CEO. It's, like, so cliché and so bad," she said. A TikTok video of the incident swiftly gained over 100 million views, propelling the private moment into a global public scandal.
Aftermath and Resignations
The intense public scrutiny led to both Cabot and Byron resigning from their high-profile roles at the data firm Astronomer. Cabot explained that in the immediate aftermath, they returned to the concert bar and "sat there with our heads in our hands, like, 'What just happened?'"
Initially, they kept in contact, but by September 2025, they agreed that continuing to speak would hinder everyone's ability to move on. Their communication has been minimal since. Cabot was separated from her second husband, Andrew Cabot, at the time, with divorce proceedings already underway prior to the concert.
A Torrent of Abuse and a Plea for Perspective
The fallout extended far beyond their careers. Cabot revealed she received dozens of death threats, some chillingly specific. One read: "I know you shop at Market Basket and I'm coming for you." The threats began to severely affect her children, who overheard some of the menacing messages. "They were already in really bad shape, and that's when the wheels fell off the cart," Cabot told the Times. "Because my kids were afraid that I was going to die and they were going to die."
She also faced baseless accusations that she had slept her way to the top, a claim that stung given her lifelong dedication to financial independence and career success. Reflecting on her error in judgement, Cabot stated: "I made a bad decision and had a couple of High Noons and danced and acted inappropriately with my boss. And it's not nothing. And I took accountability and I gave up my career for that. That's the price I chose to pay."
Her hope now is to show her children that while people can make serious mistakes, the consequences should not include being threatened with murder. The Independent has approached Astronomer for comment.
