Kristin Cabot, former HR executive at Astronomer, has finally broken her silence about the viral incident where she was caught in a close embrace with her then-boss, CEO Andy Byron, at a Coldplay concert in July. While speaking to The New York Times, she said that the embarrassing moment was a "bad decision".
The incident, which sparked widespread media attention and public scrutiny, led to Cabot's resignation and divorce proceedings. In different interviews published on Thursday, she expressed regret and took accountability for her actions, stating she "gave up her career" as a consequence.
"I made a bad decision and had a couple of High Noons and danced and acted inappropriately with my boss," she told NYT.
"And it's nothing. And I took accountability, and I gave up my career for that. That's the price I chose to pay."
Also read | Astronomer CEO Andy Byron's "Affair" With Kristin Cabot Caught On Camera During Coldplay Concert, Chris Martin Reacts
"This can't be the final word"
Cabot, a 53-year-old mother of two, revealed she had a "big happy crush" on Byron, and they shared their first and only kiss at the concert. Both were separated from their spouses at the time. She faced intense backlash, including death threats and online harassment, labelling her a "homewrecker" and "gold digger".
In a separate interview, she told the Times of London, "I could have been struck by lightning, I could have won the lottery, or this could have happened."
"But I'm not some celebrity, I'm just a mom from New Hampshire," she added.
"Even if I did have an affair, it's not anybody's business."
"It has been like a scarlet letter; people erased everything I'd accomplished in my life and achieved in my career. This can't be the final word."
Also read | Viral Meme Trends Of 2025 That Defined Our Year
While speaking to UK Times, she said she had "become a meme", and the backlash made her "unemployable". "I was the most maligned HR manager in HR history."
"I wanted to put a cute outfit on and go out and dance and laugh and have a great night," she told the NYT.
"And that's how it was tracking. Some inside part of my brain might have been jumping up and down and waving its arms, saying, 'Don't do this,'" she said.
She said that she was "on top of the world" when she was caught on camera. "We were sitting in the back of the stadium at the opposite end from the stage in the pitch black, just feeling totally anonymous in an arena of 50, 60,000 people," she told the UK Times.
"We were just dancing, I'd had a few High Noons. Andy was standing behind me, and we were dancing, and I grabbed him," Cabot continued.
"My immediate reaction was..."
Byron and Cabot were seen on the jumbotron, standing draped in each other's arms. They moved away, shielding their faces, when the camera focused on them. "I didn't hear the announcement that the jumbotron was coming, so suddenly I'm just seeing us on screen."
"My immediate reaction was, 'Holy s-t, Andrew's here,'" Cabot said about her former partner as she had an idea that he was also at the concert.
"We were in the middle of an incredibly - and amazingly - amicable separation. I was worried I would embarrass him. He's an amazing guy and does not deserve that.
"Then a beat later, my mind turns to, 'Oh God, Andy's my effing boss,' this is a bad look. Boston's not a big town. And while it wasn't an Astronomer event or anything, there could have been investors or other staff there."
As a woman, I took the "bulk of the abuse"
Byron, who also resigned, has reportedly received criticism from former employees, calling him a "toxic boss".
"I think as a woman, as women always do, I took the bulk of the abuse. People would say things like I was a 'gold-digger' or I 'slept my way to the top,' which just couldn't be further from reality. The amount I sacrificed to get where I did in my career, the amount of hands I've had to take off my ass over the years, comments I've had to swat away from men," she added.
Cabot hopes her story teaches her children that mistakes happen, and one error doesn't define their worth.
from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/xnDcPm6
