Coldplay kiss-cam scandal's Kristin Cabot on how 16 seconds ruined her life, invited abuse, hate-filled threats

Dubai: An HR executive who went viral globally after being caught on a stadium screen cuddling her boss at a Coldplay concert has spoken out about the fallout, saying the online abuse has been relentless and life-altering.

In an interview that first appeared in The Times, Kristin Cabot broke her silence months after footage from a July Coldplay show in Boston showed her embracing Andy Byron, then the chief executive of tech firm Astronomer. The pair were seen swaying to the music before abruptly ducking out of view when they realised they were on the big screen.

The moment exploded online after Coldplay frontman Chris Martin quipped to the crowd that the couple were “either having an affair or just very shy”, turning the clip into a viral sensation watched millions of times.

Ms Cabot, 53, who served as Astronomer’s chief people officer, stepped down from her role shortly after the incident. Mr Byron also resigned after the company placed him on leave and announced an internal investigation.

Speaking to The Times, Ms Cabot said she is now searching for work but has been told she is effectively “unemployable”, adding that the internet may have moved on, but the consequences for her have not.

“I became a meme. I was the most maligned HR manager in HR history,” she said. She also said the alcohol-assisted moment with her CEO boss led to doxxing, harrassment, and severe trauma for her family.

Cabot was separated from her husband at the time of the concert, who was also in attendance that night. In a separate interview with The New York Times, she denied being in a sexual relationship with Mr Byron, saying they had never kissed before the concert, though she acknowledged having had a “crush” on him.

“I made a bad decision,” she said, admitting she had been drinking and behaved inappropriately.

“I took accountability and I gave up my career for that.”

Explaining why she chose to speak publicly now, Ms Cabot said the abuse has continued long after the headlines faded.

“It’s not over for me, and it’s not over for my kids. The harassment never ended,” she told The Times.

She said her two children are now too embarrassed for her to collect them from school or attend their sports events, adding: “They’re mad at me — and they can be mad at me for the rest of their lives. I have to take that.”

Ms Cabot also questioned whether her former boss faced the same level of scrutiny, suggesting the backlash was disproportionately directed at her.

“As a woman, I took the bulk of the abuse,” she said.

“People said I was a ‘gold-digger’ or that I ‘slept my way to the top’, which couldn’t be further from the truth.”

At the height of the controversy, her appearance, clothing and body were widely dissected online, with celebrities weighing in.

Actor Whoopi Goldberg publicly commented on the saga, while Gwyneth Paltrow — who was previously married to Chris Martin — appeared in a tongue-in-cheek promotional video for Astronomer, further fuelling the spectacle.