Months after the controversy over a viral “kiss cam” moment in Coldplay’s concert, Kristin Cabot, the former Astronomer HR executive whose life changed overnight, lashed out at her former boss Andy Byron, alleging he misled her. Speaking in a podcast with Oprah Winfrey, Cabot said the fallout from the incident continues to affect her personal and professional life.
Cabot said she stopped speaking to Byron after the autumn, saying she later realised that important details about his personal life were not true. “He wasn’t the person he represented himself to be, to me, and lying is a non-negotiable for me. There was a big miss on honesty and integrity,” she said.
The controversy began in July 2025 when a video from Coldplay’s Boston concert showed the Cabot wrapped in Byron’s arms as the two appear completely immersed in the music, until the kiss cam catches them by surprise. Both appeared to hide as the camera turned towards them. The clip of the incident quickly went viral, leading to severe backlash against the two.
She said the criticism quickly spiralled, with hundreds of calls each day, abuse on social media and even death threats, eventually forcing her to step down from her role.
Cabot said she had believed both were in similar situations at the time, but later realised that was not the case. She stopped all communication with him after coming to that conclusion. Oprah Winfrey responded during the interview, saying: “What I’m hearing is that he really wasn’t separated.”
In the podcast, she revealed that she did not want to speak on Byron’s behalf, but alleged that “a lot of what was represented to me was not true”.
Her latest remarks also mark a clear U-turn from her earlier stance. She had described the episode as a “bad decision” made after drinking. “I made a bad decision and had a couple of High Noons and danced and acted inappropriately with my boss,” she said, taking accountability. She added that the episode left her feeling like a public meme and “unemployable”, effectively derailing her career.
CAREER HIT HARD AFTER VIRAL CONTROVERSY
Cabot said she is still struggling to find work despite actively looking for opportunities. “I have so much gas left in the tank. I’m dying to get back to work. I’m raising my kids alone. I’m financially responsible for my kids alone, and I need to get back to work,” she said.
She also flagged a gender imbalance in the fallout, alleging Byron has faced fewer professional consequences. “I think he has the luxury of staying silent, and he can go back to work when he’s ready. I don’t,” she said, adding that she feels pressure to publicly explain her side.
Andy Byron had stepped down as CEO of AI company Astronomer after the controversy.
