‘I made a bad decision’: Former tech exec caught hugging boss on Coldplay kiss cam breaks silence

Cabot, 53, admitted that she made "a bad decision" after having "a couple of High Noons" (vodka seltzers), as she told the New York Times in an interview on Dec. 18.

In July, a 16-second video, which showed her and Byron being filmed by a kiss cam while hugging each other, went viral on social media, garnering millions of views and sparking a backlash. Cabot explained that the video made her the subject of ridicule, leading to the loss of her career prospects. "I took accountability and I gave up my career for that. That’s the price I chose to pay," she said.

However, Cabot said the intense online backlash she faced felt disproportionate. Speaking to The Times of London, she compared the experience to wearing a "scarlet letter," a symbol of public shame, where her years of professional achievements were overshadowed in an instant.

"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."

Astronomer's former CEO Andy Byron and HR chief Kris Cabot were captured cozied up during a Coldplay concert on July 16, 2025. Photo from Facebook

Cabot clarified that both she and Byron were in the process of separating from their spouses when they attended the concert with friends and admitted that she had developed a "big happy crush" on Byron after working closely together at Astronomer. "I wanted to put a cute outfit on and go out and dance and laugh and have a great night," she told the New York Times. However, she also mentioned a voice in her head warning her, "don’t do this."

The former HR exec said she was "on top of the world" in the moments before she and Byron were unexpectedly shown on the big screen in front of thousands of people at the concert. "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. I didn’t hear the announcement that the jumbotron was coming, so suddenly I’m just seeing us on screen."

Cabot also revealed that her then-husband, Andrew Cabot, who she was negotiating a divorce settlement with, was in the crowd that night. "I was worried I would embarrass him. He’s an amazing guy and does not deserve that," she said. She soon realized the professional consequences of the moment, knowing that Byron, her boss, was beside her and could be seen by investors or colleagues.

In the aftermath, Cabot faced accusations of using her relationship with Byron to advance her career, a claim she vehemently denied. "I worked so hard to dispel that all my life, and here I was being accused of it." Cabot and Byron then only had brief contact to discuss how to handle the crisis before cutting ties. A month after the video went viral, Cabot officially filed for divorce.

Cabot has since hired communications consultant Dini von Mueffling to help rehabilitate her image. Von Mueffling is known for working with women affected by media scrutiny.

"Every day I hear something about a kid or a young adult who committed suicide because of how horrific they were treated in the comment section," Cabot said. "We have to be kinder to each other, not constantly tear one another down."