HR executive in viral Coldplay moment describes ongoing harassment and job search

Kristin Cabot, the former chief people officer at Astronomer, says the online backlash from a July moment at a Coldplay concert has not ended. In interviews with The Times and The New York Times, Cabot described a sustained campaign of abuse, threats and doxxing that she says has followed her long after the clip went viral and prompted a leadership shake-up at the tech company.

The incident arose during a Foxborough, Massachusetts, show when Cabot and Andy Byron, then-CEO of Astronomer, were captured on camera swaying to the music and briefly ducking out of view. The moment drew immediate attention after Coldplay frontman Chris Martin quipped to the crowd that the pair might be “having an affair,” or “just very shy.” The video spread across social platforms and became a meme within days. Astronomer later announced that Byron had resigned after being placed on leave while the company conducted an internal review.

Cabot, 53, told The Times she is actively looking for a new role but has been told she is “unemployable” because of the online attention. She stressed she was not engaged in a sexual relationship with Byron and that the couple had never kissed, though she said she had once harbored a crush on her boss. “I made a bad decision and had a couple of High Noons and danced and acted inappropriately with my boss,” she said, adding that she “took accountability and I gave up my career for that.”

Her interviews paint a portrait of a personal toll that extended beyond the workplace. Cabot said she became a target of relentless harassment, including threats to her safety and the safety of her family. She recalled that she received doxxing messages and was bombarded with as many as 600 calls a day at one point. The hostility extended to her appearance, body, clothing and private life, she said, and celebrities joined in or amplified the criticism, including Whoopi Goldberg and Gwyneth Paltrow, the latter of whom participated in a tongue-in-cheek promotional video for Astronomer.

The 53-year-old executive described a climate of online shaming that spilled into real life. She said the abuse affected her children, who were embarrassed to be seen at school with their mother and increasingly avoided public spaces and events. “They’re mad at me. And they can be mad at me for the rest of their lives — I have to take that,” Cabot said. She told The New York Times that most of the vicious communications came from women, and that a wave of in-person bullying, plus phone calls and messages, followed the incident. She said her private details were posted online and that the family began to fear for their safety in daily life.

Despite the hardship, Cabot has started to rebuild in small ways. She has found therapists for her children and has begun stepping outside for activities such as tennis. She noted that she and Byron briefly kept in touch to exchange crisis-management advice, but they ultimately decided that continued contact would hinder everyone’s ability to move forward and heal. They have not spoken since.

Byron has not spoken publicly about the incident. A forged statement attributed to him circulated online in the wake of the clip, prompting Astronomer to issue its own clarification stating that he had not issued any comment. The company subsequently announced that Byron tendered his resignation and that the board had accepted it. Astronomer has emphasized its commitment to the company’s stated values and culture as it moved to address the leadership transition.

Media outlets including the BBC have attempted to reach Byron through Astronomer for comment as the company navigates the aftermath of the public incident. Cabot’s account adds a personal dimension to a moment that prompted broader discussion about accountability, gender dynamics in leadership, and the toll of online harassment on private individuals tied to high-profile corporate events.

The episode also touched a broader public conversation about how public moments in entertainment interact with corporate leadership. The viral clip, the ensuing memes, and the wave of commentary drew attention to the pressures faced by executives and employees in the digital era, particularly women who occupy high-profile roles. In the days after the incident, commentary and coverage highlighted the contrast between the occasional whimsy of a staged moment at a concert and the lasting consequences that can unfold in the court of public opinion.

As Cabot pursues new employment opportunities, she said the experience has reinforced the need for workplaces to support employees who find themselves under extraordinary public scrutiny. She emphasized that her family’s well-being is a priority as she continues to navigate a job market that has been affected by the incident’s notoriety, and she acknowledged that healing will take time for both her and her children. While she spoke candidly about the cost of the episode, she also indicated a degree of resilience and a determination to move forward, even as the public narrative continues to evolve around the Coldplay moment and its aftermath.