A viral TikTok clip of Kristin Cabot, the 53‑year‑old head of human resources at data‑operations firm Astronomer, embracing her boss, former CEO Andy Byron, at a Coldplay concert in July has turned a summer night into a personal and professional nightmare.
The Moment That Went Viral
At Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, the camera caught Cabot and Byron in an embrace that many viewers described as “kiss cam.” The clip, which spread rapidly on TikTok, sparked outrage and led to both executives resigning from their positions.
Aftermath for Cabot and Byron
Cabot told The New York Times that she and Byron had not kissed before that night. “I made a bad decision and had a couple of High Noons and danced and acted inappropriately with my boss,” she said. “And it’s not nothing. And I took accountability and I gave up my career for that. That’s the price I chose to pay.”
Personal Fallout and Family Impact
Cabot was in the midst of a separation from husband Andrew Cabot when the video went viral. She also discovered that her now‑former husband was attending the same concert, an event that “threw me,” she explained. Once Cabot realized the clip had gone viral, she drove to Boston to speak with her children, who were staying with their father. Her 14‑year‑old daughter cried as Cabot explained the situation. “They knew who Andy was, obviously, and I said, ‘He and I got very swept up in a moment and now it’s on social media,’” Cabot told The New York Times.
Corporate Reactions and Public Response
During the concert, Coldplay lead singer Chris Martin addressed the audience, saying, “Oh, look at these two. You’re all right. You’re OK. Oh, what? Either they’re having an affair or they’re just very shy.” The remark added a layer of public scrutiny to the incident. Astronomer attempted to downplay the situation by hiring Gwyneth Paltrow, the ex‑wife of Chris Martin, as its “temporary spokesperson” in the wake of the video. The move was widely noted but did little to quell the backlash.
Ongoing Struggles and Public Scrutiny
The viral moment also brought death threats. Cabot said she heard one on speakerphone that was overheard by her children. “They were already in really bad shape, and that’s when the wheels fell off the cart,” she said. “Because my kids were afraid that I was going to die and they were going to die.” Cabot reported being shunned by many former friends and close colleagues, describing the isolation as “worse than people yelling at me at the gas station.” She added that the scandal is something she lives with “every day,” including strangers approaching her and scolding her in public while she is with her children. The ongoing public scrutiny has left her unsure how best to protect her family while dealing with professional fallout.
Key Takeaways
- The TikTok clip of Cabot and Byron’s embrace led to resignations and a divorce filing.
- The incident triggered death threats and intense public scrutiny, affecting Cabot’s children.
- Astronomer’s attempts to mitigate the fallout included hiring a temporary spokesperson and releasing a video featuring a Coldplay ex‑wife.
Closing
The fallout from a single viral moment has reshaped the careers and private lives of those involved, illustrating how quickly personal actions can spill into the public domain and alter family dynamics. The story first appeared on TODAY.com.
