It Was Alcohol, Not an Affair – HR Executive Addresses Viral Coldplay Kiss Incident, Denies Affair with CEO
HR Executive Addresses Viral Coldplay Kiss Incident, Denies Affair with CEO
Kristin Cabot, the human resources executive who was caught on a massive jumbotron cozying up to her married boss at a Coldplay concert, has finally broken her silence.
Cabot, 53, insisted that the encounter with ex-Astronomer CEO Andy Byron was not part of an ongoing sexual relationship.
The incident took place on July 16 in Boston, when Cabot and Byron were shown in an intimate embrace on the kiss cam.
Both quickly separated and tried to hide after realizing they were broadcast to the crowd.
Coldplay frontman Chris Martin commented, “Either they’re having an affair or they’re very shy.” Byron, seeing himself on screen, reportedly muttered, “F****** hell, it’s me.”
Cabot told the New York Times the episode was a one-time, alcohol-fueled mistake.
“I made a bad decision and had a couple of High Noons and danced and acted inappropriately with my boss,” she said.
“It’s not nothing. I took accountability and gave up my career for that. That’s the price I chose to pay.”
She acknowledged having a crush on Byron but stressed that before that night, the two had never kissed.
During the concert, they shared tequila cocktails, danced, and exchanged a single kiss in their VIP balcony seats.
The viral moment led to intense public backlash. Cabot has been mocked online, shamed by strangers in public, and even received over 60 threats to her life.
“I want my kids to know that you can make mistakes, and you can really screw up. But you don’t have to be threatened to be killed for them,” she said.
Cabot recalled her immediate embarrassment after the kiss cam exposure. Both she and Byron rushed back to the bar, worried about their careers and the potential impact on Cabot’s estranged husband, Andrew, who was also attending the concert with a date.
“I did not want to humiliate my ex,” she said, noting they had been married for two years but were separated at the time.
Recognizing how poorly it looked for the head of HR to be seen snuggled with the CEO, Cabot and Byron returned to her Boston-area apartment and decided to notify the Astronomer board. They drafted an email, but by the time it was sent the next morning, footage of the incident had already gone viral on TikTok.
As a result, both executives were placed on leave while the company launched an investigation.
Byron soon resigned as CEO, and Cabot followed suit. Cabot also filed for divorce on August 13. Her ex-husband confirmed their separation predated the concert and praised her handling of the situation.
Cabot described the aftermath as challenging but gradually improving. Their teenage children, who feared for their mother’s safety during the scandal, are now in therapy.
Cabot herself has resumed leaving the house, pursuing hobbies, and rebuilding her routine.
She and Byron stayed in contact throughout the summer but ended communication in September, agreeing it was best for everyone to move on and heal.
Reflecting on their immediate reaction, Cabot said they sat at the bar in shock, hands on their heads, and began planning how to navigate the fallout.
