From a Coldplay Screen Moment to a Life Turned Upside Down
What started as a fleeting, awkward moment at a Coldplay concert has turned into a life-altering ordeal for Kristin Cabot, a senior HR executive who never expected to become a viral headline. Back in July, during a Coldplay show in Boston, Cabot was caught on the big screen embracing her boss, Andy Byron, then the CEO of tech company Astronomer. As the crowd laughed and the camera lingered, both of them suddenly ducked away, prompting Coldplay’s Chris Martin to joke that they were either “having an affair” or were just very shy. That brief comment, paired with the clip, sent the internet into a frenzy.
The video was shared millions of times, memes were created within hours, and jokes came from every corner of social media. While the internet quickly moved on to the next viral moment, Cabot says her nightmare was only beginning. She has now spoken publicly for the first time, describing how the harassment, abuse, and threats never really stopped. According to her, she became a symbol of ridicule, calling herself “the most maligned HR manager in HR history.”
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In the days following the clip, Astronomer announced that Andy Byron would be placed on leave and investigated. He later resigned, and Cabot stepped down from her role as chief people officer. She says she has since tried to find another job but has been told she is “unemployable,” a label that has been devastating after years of building her career.
Cabot has been clear that there was no sexual relationship. She admitted to having a crush and to making a poor judgment call that night, saying she drank, danced, and behaved inappropriately with her boss. For that, she says, she took responsibility and effectively gave up her career. But what followed went far beyond professional consequences. Her private details were leaked online, she was bombarded with hundreds of calls a day, paparazzi camped outside her home, and dozens of death threats were received. At one point, her children feared for their lives, and everyday activities like school pickups and sports games became sources of shame and anxiety.
She also questioned whether her former boss faced the same level of backlash. In her view, much of the abuse was gendered, with accusations that she “slept her way to the top,” claims she says are completely untrue and deeply painful. Ironically, she noted that many of the harshest critics were women.
Slowly, things are beginning to stabilize. Therapy has been arranged for her children, and she has started venturing out again, even returning to small routines like playing tennis. She and Byron briefly stayed in touch to navigate the crisis, but contact was eventually cut so that everyone could try to move on and heal.
For Cabot, the viral moment may be old news to the world, but its impact is still very real, reminding us how quickly a joke can turn into something far more damaging.
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