In mid-December, nearly five months after the incident that rocked social media, Kristin Cabot, 53, former human resources director at Astronomer, spoke publicly for the first time about the moment that altered her life. "It was a terrible decision," Cabot stated.
On 16/7, at Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts, amid the electric atmosphere of a Coldplay concert, Cabot had consumed several cocktails and spirits. Under the influence, she introduced Andy Byron to her friends, and they danced together in the VIP section.
Tragedy struck when the stadium's kiss cam scanned the crowd, pausing on Byron with his arm around Cabot. Their image appeared on the giant screen before tens of thousands of concertgoers. Chris Martin, Coldplay's frontman, quipped, "Either they are having an affair, or they are very shy."
In that moment, Byron exclaimed, "Oh no, is that us?"
Cabot described feeling "embarrassed and horrified." They quickly separated, leaving their seats to avoid the camera's gaze. "I was the human resources director, and he was the CEO. The situation was terrible," she recalled.
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An image, reportedly of Andy Byron and Kristin Cabot, appearing affectionate at the Coldplay concert. *Screenshot from video*.
After leaving the stadium, they sat dejectedly at a bar before heading to her Boston apartment to draft an explanatory email for the board. However, social media proved faster than they anticipated. The following morning, the video of the incident went viral on TikTok, garnering 46 million views in just 24 hours.
The repercussions were immediate. Astronomer launched an internal investigation. On 19/7, CEO Byron resigned. Shortly thereafter, Cabot also tendered her resignation.
Yet, the ordeal did not end there. Cabot faced a torrent of fierce criticism and death threats from strangers. "I want my children to understand that anyone can make mistakes, but no one deserves to be threatened with their life for it," she stated, heartbroken to see her decades-long, carefully built career ruined.
Her children required therapy, fearing their mother might harm herself. Her husband, Andrew, who had separated two years prior and was at the concert with his new girlfriend, chose to remain silent to protect his family's privacy — an act Cabot valued as "very courteous."
Currently, Cabot has begun venturing out and regaining her balance. She maintained contact with Byron throughout the summer to share the burden of their ordeal, but by September, she had severed all communication. She realized "it's hard to heal" if she continued to dwell on the past.
On 13/8, Cabot officially filed for divorce. Byron, meanwhile, is reportedly attempting to reconcile with his wife.
Video capturing the incident. *Source: Metro*.
Nhat Minh (Based on reports from NY Time, Dailymail, People)
