Woman at center of viral 'kiss cam' moment at Coldplay concert breaks silence
Kristin Cabot, the woman at the center of the viral "kiss cam" moment at a Coldplay concert earlier this year, is breaking her silence.
Cabot, 53, told The New York Times in an interview published Thursday that the "kiss cam" video -- filmed at the July 16 Coldplay concert in Boston by a fellow concertgoer and shared on TikTok -- and the ensuing scandal deeply impacted her life.
The viral incident led to Cabot's resignation from the tech company Astronomer, where she previously served as the head of HR, as well as the resignation of former Astronomer CEO Andy Byron, who was also seen in the viral video.
Cabot told the Times she wanted to speak out now to set the record straight and share her side of the story.
"I made a bad decision and had a couple of High Noons and danced and acted inappropriately with my boss. And it's not nothing," she said. "I took accountability and I gave up my career for that. That's the price I chose to pay."
The mom of two, who said she was newly separated from her husband at the time of the incident, added, "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."
In the viral "kiss cam" video, Cabot and Byron, who both worked at Astronomer at the time, are seen embracing on a VIP balcony before realizing their faces are being shown on the concert Jumbotron. Cabot quickly covers her face with her hands as Byron ducks out of frame.
Coldplay lead singer Chris Martin is heard in the video commenting on the pair's reactions, saying, "Either they're having an affair, or they're just very shy. I'm not quite sure."
Since the viral "kiss cam" footage was first shared, the video has been viewed and dissected by millions online and in pop culture. As a result, Cabot said she has received between 50 and 60 death threats, and her kids have been especially affected.
"...My kids were afraid that I was going to die and they were going to die," she said.
Cabot said she also felt particularly targeted by other women in the aftermath of the "kiss cam" video spreading.
"What I've seen these last months makes it harder for me to believe that it's all about the men holding us back," she said. "I think [women] are holding ourselves back tremendously by cutting each other down."
According to Cabot, she and Byron -- who she said was also separated from his spouse at the time -- kept in contact immediately following incident, but have had minimal contact since September, adding that "speaking with each other was going to make it too hard for everyone to move on and heal."
Byron declined to be interviewed by the Times.
Cabot said that nearly six months after the Coldplay concert, she's still picking up the pieces of her life, including searching for a new job.
According to the Times, she has begun managing her new reality with a more lighthearted approach, even purchasing a Victoria Beckham T-shirt emblazoned with the words, "Yes It's Me."
