Viral Coldplay kiss cam woman speaks up: “I made a bad decision”

Kristin Cabot, the woman who went viral earlier this year after appearing on Coldplay’s kiss cam alongside her then-boss, has spoken publicly for the first time about the incident and its aftermath.

In an interview with The New York Times, Cabot, 53, said the attention following the concert dramatically altered her life. She revealed that she was subjected to online harassment, followed by paparazzi, confronted by strangers, and even received death threats. According to Cabot, the situation deeply affected her family, leaving her children fearful for their safety.

Cabot, who previously served as Chief People Officer at data firm Astronomer, clarified that she was not involved in an ongoing romantic relationship with the company’s CEO, Andy Byron. She said the kiss captured on camera was the first and only time such an incident occurred. Cabot admitted her actions were inappropriate, attributing them to poor judgment after drinking at the concert.

“I made a bad decision, and I paid a heavy price for it,” she said, adding that she accepted responsibility and ultimately stepped away from her career. She stressed that while mistakes happen, no one deserves threats of violence as a result.

At the time of the concert in July, Cabot said she had already separated from her husband, Andrew Cabot, a process that began weeks earlier. Their divorce was finalised in August, and a spokesperson later confirmed that the decision to separate had been made before the concert. Cabot noted that Byron was aware of her personal situation and had shared that he was going through similar circumstances, which she said created a sense of mutual understanding.

Cabot attended the Coldplay concert with friends and invited Byron as her guest. She later learned that her estranged husband was also present at the venue. When she appeared on the stadium’s big screen, Cabot said she felt immediate embarrassment and concern, particularly given her senior HR role and Byron’s position as CEO.

Following the incident, Cabot resigned from Astronomer within days, despite the company offering her the option to remain after completing an internal review. Byron also stepped down from his role. Cabot said she has since been told she is “unemployable,” and that some professional and personal relationships ended as a result of the controversy.

The brief moment on the kiss cam quickly spiraled into a viral phenomenon, with the original TikTok clip amassing around 100 million views within days. Coldplay frontman Chris Martin jokingly referenced the moment during the concert, while celebrities and pop culture figures later parodied the clip. The company itself even leaned into the viral moment by featuring actress Gwyneth Paltrow in a skit referencing the incident.

Cabot said her goal in speaking out now is to move forward and to show her children that while mistakes can have serious consequences, accountability should not come with public shaming or threats to personal safety.