Kristin Cabot, a former senior HR executive whose unexpected appearance with her boss in a viral Coldplay concert clip triggered global attention, has spoken publicly about the severe personal and professional fallout she has faced.
The clip — filmed at a July 2025 Coldplay show in Boston — showed Cabot, then chief people officer at tech firm Astronomer, embracing CEO Andy Byron before they ducked away once they realised they were on the stadium’s big screen.
The moment quickly exploded online after frontman Chris Martin joked about the pair possibly “having an affair.”
In interviews with The Times and The New York Times, Cabot, 53, described how the incident, viewed millions of times, turned her into an Internet meme and led to relentless harassment, including threats and the doxxing of her private information.
She said the abuse “never ended” and that she has struggled to find work, with some employers telling her she is now “unemployable.”
Cabot acknowledged making a “bad decision” that night, attributing her behaviour in part to having “a couple of High Noons,” but denied ever having been in a romantic relationship with Byron.
She said much of the backlash fell disproportionately on her, including accusations of being a “gold-digger” and other personal attacks, many of which she says came from women.
The viral moment also affected her family: Cabot said her children were embarrassed and fearful for their safety amid the harassment, which included hundreds of daily calls and dozens of death threats.
Both Cabot and Byron eventually resigned from their roles following the incident and an internal investigation at Astronomer.
Cabot says she is now focused on rebuilding her life and supporting her family as she continues her job search.
