HR executive Kristin Cabot says a viral Coldplay “kiss cam" ruined her career and left her labelled unemployable

20 December 2025

Andy Byron and Kristin Cabot during the Coldplay concert in July 2025.

When a Coldplay concert in July 2025 turned into a viral nightmare for Kristin Cabot, the then chief people officer at tech company Astronomer, she could scarcely have imagined how a fleeting moment captured on a stadium jumbotron would upend her life. In the midst of enjoying a night out with friends at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, Cabot and CEO Andy Byron found themselves featured on the band’s “kiss cam” screen in a brief embrace that quickly exploded across social media and mainstream news, sparking assumptions of an affair and triggering intense public scrutiny that neither executive was prepared for.

What began as a seemingly innocuous moment of dancing quickly became a defining episode in Cabot’s life, costing her job, straining her family relationships and leaving her struggling to rebuild her professional reputation amidst widespread judgment and harassment.

In interviews with The New York Times and The Times in the U.K., Cabot, 53, has opened up about how that brief moment on a giant screen changed everything for her. She acknowledged that she and Byron were seen wrapped in each other’s arms during Coldplay’s concert and described the episode as a “bad decision” made after having “a couple of High Noons,” referring to the alcoholic drink.

Cabot emphasized that the encounter was spontaneous and not part of an ongoing romantic relationship, noting that both she and Byron were in the midst of amicable separations from their spouses at the time. Despite her attempts to explain the context, the public reaction was swift and brutal.

The clip spread quickly online, racking up millions of views within days and making Cabot a meme and focal point of scrutiny. Comments and posts across social platforms ranged from mocking to vitriolic, with many accusing her of impropriety or betrayal despite her insistence that the moment was not reflective of her professional integrity. “I’m not some celebrity, I’m just a mom from New Hampshire,” she told the Times, stressing that even if her actions were open to interpretation, they were not anyone else’s business. Instead of thoughtful discussion or nuance, Cabot found her career achievements overshadowed by the incident, with her decades of experience in advertising and human resources erased in the eyes of many observers.

The fallout was immediate and consequential. Both Cabot and Byron resigned from their roles at Astronomer in the aftermath of the viral controversy. The company’s board determined that the attention the video attracted made it difficult for either leader to continue in their respective positions, leaving Cabot to negotiate terms of her departure. Although Astronomer later emphasized that the leadership failed to meet expected standards of conduct, Cabot has maintained that the punishment far exceeded the scope of the moment itself.

Since then, Cabot has faced hurdles in her professional life that many in her position would never have anticipated. Despite a long record of work that began when she was just 13, she has found potential employers hesitant to engage with her, with some reportedly telling her she has become “unemployable” simply because her name is now associated with the Coldplay incident. Asked whether this episode should define her career, she has replied that it should not, but the reality of being judged and dismissed based on a 16-second clip continues to haunt her.

The secondary effects of the online backlash have extended beyond her professional life and into her private world. In a separate piece published by People, Cabot revealed that her teenage children were deeply affected by the attention, at times expressing fear that they or their family could be harmed because of the hostile messages she received. She described the impact on her family as profound, saying that the abuse and threats made them reluctant to participate in public life and left lasting emotional scars.

Cabot’s story has become something of a cautionary tale about the perils of instant virality and the power of public opinion in the digital age. What might have once played out as a minor personal embarrassment instead became a full-blown scandal, fueled by online speculation, meme culture and punitive judgment that often intersect with workplace dynamics and gendered assumptions. In remarks to the Times of London, Cabot said she wanted her children to understand that people make mistakes but that no one should be subjected to death threats or violent rhetoric over a brief moment captured out of context. The intensity of the backlash has prompted broader discussions about cancel culture, empathy and how quickly a private citizen’s life can be dismantled by a viral video.

Cabot remains determined to redefine the narrative and move forward. She has engaged a communications adviser and spoken out about how online harassment and public shaming have upended her life, advocating for greater awareness of the human consequences of internet outrage. Her message emphasizes accountability while also calling for restraint and understanding in a culture that too often leaps to condemnation without context. Through her candour, she hopes to highlight that a single moment need not erase a lifetime of achievements.

Today, Cabot continues to search for new opportunities and works to rebuild her career, even as the shadow of that Coldplay kiss cam moment lingers. In her own words, she does not want that night to be “the final word.” Her story stands as a stark example of how life in the digital spotlight can amplify missteps, and it invites readers and commentators alike to reconsider how society responds when real people become the subjects of instant, unforgiving internet judgment.