Harassment and job woes: Coldplay kiss-cam HR executive breaks silence
What's the story
Kristin Cabot, an HR executive who went viral for hugging her boss Andy Byron at a Coldplay concert in July, has opened up about the aftermath of the incident. Cabot was the Chief People Officer at tech company Astronomer. A clip, showing the pair hugging and swaying to the music before trying to duck out of view, quickly went viral after Coldplay frontman Chris Martin joked to the crowd: "Either they're having an affair, or they're just very shy."
Consequences
Cabot's professional and personal life impacted
The video of Cabot and Byron dancing at the concert went viral, leading to widespread speculation about their relationship. Within days, the internet had moved on from the incident but for Cabot, the harassment continued. She described herself as "the most maligned HR manager in HR history" after becoming a meme and facing ridicule across platforms.
Personal impact
Cabot's separation and accountability
Cabot was separated from her husband, who also attended the concert. In a separate interview with The New York Times, she clarified that she wasn't in a sexual relationship with Byron and they had never kissed before that night. However, she confessed to having had a "crush" on her boss and taking accountability for her actions by saying, "I made a bad decision and had a couple of High Noons and danced and acted inappropriately with my boss."
Family impact
Cabot's children affected by public scrutiny
Cabot said her two children were too embarrassed to be picked up from school by their mother or go to sports games. She wondered if Byron faced the same level of abuse after the incident, saying, "I think as a woman, as women always do, I took the bulk of the abuse." Cabot was also subjected to body shaming and received threatening messages after the incident.
Online abuse
Cabot's private details leaked online, faced harassment
Cabot was doxxed and received up to 600 calls a day. She described the paparazzi outside her house as a "parade" and received 50-60 death threats. Despite these challenges, things are starting to improve for Cabot. She has found therapists for her children and started leaving the house to play tennis.