Kristin Cabot, former Head of HR at the Boston-based company Astronomer, is breaking her silence about a viral moment that cost her and the company’s CEO their jobs. A video of Cabot and Andy Byron embracing during a Coldplay concert in Boston – captured on the stadium’s jumbotron – quickly spread across social media in December 2024, sparking a widespread online backlash dubbed “#coldplaygate.” In a new interview with The New York Times, Cabot details the immediate and lasting repercussions of the incident, including public harassment and the difficult decision to resign from her position.
Kristin Cabot is speaking out months after a video of her with her boss went viral. The clip, captured during a Coldplay concert in Boston, quickly became a social media sensation – and led to her losing her job.
In her first interview since the incident, dubbed #coldplaygate online, Cabot told The New York Times the fallout resulted in months of “humiliation, public harassment, and threats.”
“I made a bad decision. I had a couple of High Noons, I danced, and I behaved inappropriately with my boss,” she admitted.
The viral moment occurred when Cabot and Andy Byron were shown embracing on the stadium’s jumbotron during the concert. As the pair attempted to hide, Coldplay frontman Chris Martin jokingly suggested from the stage that it might be a case of infidelity.
The clip quickly spread on TikTok, racking up over 100 million views in just days. Cabot explained that she went from being a relatively unknown executive to the subject of widespread online mockery and attacks almost overnight. The incident quickly became a cautionary tale about workplace behavior and the power of social media.
She Fell for Her Boss
Prior to the concert, Kristin Cabot had acknowledged feeling attracted to her boss. Both she and Byron were going through divorces at the time. Cabot stated her separation was public knowledge, while Byron’s came as a surprise.
Cabot was in the process of divorcing her second husband, Andrew Cabot, the CEO of a rum distillery and a prominent Boston family member. She described the separation as amicable, and expressed concern about embarrassing him.
Following the video’s virality, Cabot said she was inundated with insults and threats. She received over 50 calls a day for weeks, photographers camped outside her home, and she even received death threats.
The scandal also impacted her children, who, she said, began to avoid appearing in public with her for fear of being targeted.
What Happened Between Kristin Cabot and Andy Byron After the Coldplay Concert?
Cabot denied having sexual relations with Andy Byron, maintaining that the concert was the first and only time they kissed. She explained that the moment they appeared on the screen, her initial joy immediately turned to terror, given her position as Head of HR and his as CEO of the company.
That night, the two discussed informing the company’s board of directors about what happened. However, by the following morning, the video had gone viral internationally. Days later, Byron resigned as CEO of Astronomer.
In a statement, the company said it expected its leaders to maintain high standards of conduct and accountability.
Following an internal investigation, Astronomer offered Cabot her position back, according to The Times. However, she chose to negotiate her exit, which was finalized on July 24, believing it was impossible to return to work given the public exposure.
Since then, contact between Cabot and Byron has been minimal, and he has not made any public statements on the matter.
