Former Astronomer HR chief speaks out for the first time, calling the backlash relentless and the celebrity mockery “hypocritical” and deeply personal
Kristin Cabot, the former head of HR at tech company Astronomer, is breaking her silence after becoming the unexpected center of one of the summer’s most viral — and damaging — pop culture moments. In her first interview since footage of her embracing then-CEO Andy Byron at a Coldplay concert exploded online, Cabot has sharply criticized Gwyneth Paltrow for what she calls a snarky and insensitive ad that capitalized on her humiliation.
Speaking to The Times of the U.K., Cabot reflected on how a single moment on a stadium Jumbotron spiraled into a global spectacle, amplified not just by social media, but by celebrities and media figures who, she says, turned her life into punchlines.
A Viral Moment That Changed Everything
The incident occurred on July 16 at a Coldplay concert in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Cabot and Byron were attending with friends when the kiss cam landed on them mid-embrace. As the pair abruptly pulled apart, Coldplay frontman Chris Martin quipped to the crowd, “Either they’re having an affair or they’re just very shy.”
Within days, the TikTok clip amassed more than 100 million views. Internet sleuths quickly identified both individuals, and the story snowballed into headline news.
“My immediate reaction was, ‘Holy s—, Andrew’s here,’” Cabot said, referring to her estranged husband, Andrew Cabot, CEO of a rum distillery. “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.”
Almost immediately, her thoughts turned to her job. “Then a beat later my mind turns to, ‘Oh God, Andy’s my effing boss.’ Boston’s not a big town. There could have been investors or staff there.”
‘How Dare She’: Cabot Responds to Gwyneth Paltrow Ad
What Cabot says hurt most was how Astronomer itself leaned into the controversy. Shortly after the incident, the company released a promotional video featuring Gwyneth Paltrow as a “temporary spokesperson,” a casting choice clearly meant to wink at the fact that Paltrow was married to Chris Martin from 2003 to 2016 and shares two children with him.
In the video, Paltrow — seated at a table in a crisp blue button-down — addresses press interest surrounding Astronomer, deftly sidestepping the scandal while promoting the company’s business.
Cabot was furious.
“I was appalled,” she told The Times, adding that she threw away everything she owned from Paltrow’s wellness brand, Goop. “I was such a fan of her company, which seemed to be about uplifting women. And then she did this.”
Her criticism was especially pointed. “I thought, ‘How dare she after the beating she got for all the conscious uncoupling stuff.’ What a hypocrite.”
Fallout at Astronomer
The controversy ultimately cost Andy Byron his job; he resigned as CEO following the backlash. Cabot said that after Astronomer completed its internal investigation, she was asked to return to her role. Instead, she chose to negotiate her exit. Her resignation was announced on July 24.
Despite stepping away professionally, Cabot says the personal toll has been relentless.
“I think as a woman, as women always do, I took the bulk of the abuse,” she said. Online, she was labeled a “gold-digger” and accused of “sleeping her way to the top.”
“That couldn’t be further from reality,” Cabot said. “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.”
‘It’s Not Over for Me’
Now a mother of two and in the process of divorcing her second husband, Cabot says the harassment hasn’t stopped — and that’s why she chose to speak out now.
“I’m sure a lot of people will say, ‘This is such a dead story, why bring it back up?’” she said. “But it’s not over for me, and it’s not over for my kids. The harassment never ended.”
What began as a fleeting kiss cam moment became a defining rupture in Cabot’s life — one she believes was worsened by a culture too quick to mock, monetize, and move on.
For Cabot, the story isn’t about viral fame or celebrity cameos. It’s about accountability, gendered backlash, and the very real human cost behind internet spectacle.
