By Staff Reporter
An HR executive thrust into the spotlight after being caught on camera at a Coldplay concert has revealed that the harassment she faced in the wake of the viral moment “has never ended.”
Kristin Cabot, 53, was filmed embracing Andy Byron, then chief executive of the tech company Astronomer, during the band’s show in Boston last July. The pair were seen swaying to the music before ducking out of sight when the big screen focused on them. Coldplay frontman Chris Martin quipped to the crowd, “Either they’re having an affair, or they’re just very shy,” a remark that helped propel the clip into global circulation.
Within hours, the footage had been watched millions of times and shared across platforms, turning Cabot and Byron into the subject of countless jokes and memes. While the internet quickly moved on, Cabot says her ordeal was only beginning. “I became a meme, the most maligned HR manager in history,” she said.
Cabot, who was separated from her husband at the time—he was also present at the concert—stepped down from her role as chief people officer shortly after Byron resigned. His departure followed Astronomer’s announcement that he would be placed on leave and investigated.
In interviews with The Times and The New York Times, Cabot insisted she was not in a sexual relationship with Byron and that the pair had never kissed before that night, though she admitted to having a “crush” on her boss. “I made a bad decision, had a couple of drinks, and danced inappropriately with my boss,” she said. “I took accountability, and I gave up my career for that.”
The fallout has been severe. Cabot says she has been told she is “unemployable” and continues to face harassment online. She described receiving threatening messages, including one from a person who claimed to know where she shopped and warned: “I’m coming for you.” At one point, she said, she was bombarded with up to 600 calls a day, her private details were exposed online, and paparazzi camped outside her home in what she likened to a “parade.” She estimates she received 50 to 60 death threats.
“My kids were terrified that I was going to die, and that they were going to die,” she said, adding that her family began to dread public spaces and social events. She noted that women were often the harshest critics, responsible for much of the bullying and abusive messages. “As a woman, I took the brunt of it,” she said. “People called me a gold-digger, said I slept my way to the top—none of which is true. I worked hard to dispel those stereotypes my whole life, and suddenly I was accused of exactly that.”
Her children, she added, remain embarrassed to be seen with her at school or sporting events. “They’re angry with me, and they may stay angry for the rest of their lives. I have to accept that,” she said. Still, she has begun to take steps toward recovery, finding therapists for her children and returning to activities like tennis.
Cabot said she and Byron briefly stayed in touch, exchanging “crisis management advice,” but eventually agreed that continued contact would make it harder for both families to move on. Byron has not spoken publicly since the incident. A fake statement purporting to be from him, complete with Coldplay lyrics, circulated online after the concert, forcing Astronomer to issue its own clarification. The company later confirmed Byron’s resignation, saying: “Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability.”
For Cabot, the ordeal remains ongoing. “It’s not over for me, and it’s not over for my kids. The harassment never ended,” she said.
