Kristin Cabot, the HR executive caught canoodling with her boss on the giant screen at aColdplay concert, has broken her silence about the viral incident that cost her her career and reputation.
Cabot and the then-CEO of Astronomer,Andy Byron, were seen sharing a romantic embrace during the British band's concert in Boston on July 16.
When they appeared on the "kiss cam," the pair quickly separated and attempted to hide from the camera.
Kristin Cabot has finally addressed the "Coldplaygate" scandal involving her and her former boss, Andy Byron
Image credits:Astronomer
"Either they're having an affair or they're very shy," Coldplay frontman Chris Martin joked to the crowd.
Just hours later, footage of the moment had received millions of views online, ultimately forcing Cabot and Byron to resign.
Addressing the incident in an interview withThe New York Times, Cabot denied having a s*xual relationship with her boss and insisted that they only kissed.
Image credits:Astronomer
"I made a bad decision and had a couple of High Noons and danced and acted inappropriately with my boss," the 53-year-old told the publication.
"And it's not nothing. And I took accountability and I gave up my career for that. That's the price I chose to pay."
As a result of the incident, which sparked accusations of infidelity for both of the former co-workers, Cabot said she received upwards of 60 threats on her life.
Cabot said she had a "crush" on the ex Astronomer CEO but denied having an affair
Image credits:instaagraace
The former human resources executive admitted that she had a "crush" on Byron and chose the Coldplay concert as an opportunity to introduce him to her friends.
"I definitely thought he was a good-looking guy and I had that thought of, 'If I didn't work here …'" Cabot said.
She claimed that before the concert, the pair had not exchanged any romantic gestures. However, after a few tequilas, they shared a kiss, their only kiss, in their VIP balcony seats.
Cabot acknowledged the mistake, as Byron is married to another woman, but said the reaction was extreme.
"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 k*lled for them."
Cabot and her estranged husband, Andrew, had separated before the event.
Cabot confirmed that she was single at the time of the concert
Image credits:tina959518
Her estranged husband has confirmed that they were no longer together at the time. The same night, Andrew was also in the crowd on a date with a different woman.
Cabot later formalized the separation and filed for divorce on August 13.
Speaking withThe New York Times, she has also referred to the scandalous relationship as a "cliché."
Image credits:instaagraace
"I'm the head of HR and he's the CEO. It's, like, so cliché and so bad," she said. "We both just sat there with our heads in our hands, like, 'What just happened?'"
According to Cabot, immediately after the Jumbotron incident, she and Byron decided to send an email to Astronomer, their tech company, to inform the board about the moment.
By the time they sent the email, the video had already gone viral. Cabot and Byron were placed on leave by Astronomer, and he quit weeks later, followed by her resignation.
Image credits:Andrew Cabot
The mom of two revealed that the former CEO has been "nothing but a gentleman" to her and that they stayed in touch until September. After that month, they stopped communicating becauseit made it "too hard for everyone to move on and heal."
According toThe New York Times, Byron was going through a marital separation at the time of the incident.
Reports indicate that Byron and his wife, Megan, sold their $5.8 million New York City apartment last month. Still, the couple is believed to have remained together after the scandal.
They reside in Massachusetts and were spotted for the first time in months in late September, still wearing their wedding rings.
Both Cabot and Byron resigned from Astronomer as a result of the scandal
Image credits:Maud Cabot
A source previously toldPeoplethatCabot and Bryondidn't have an "affair"and described the scandal, the downfall, and the loss of the jobs as "unfair."
The source described the concert as "a night with a big group of friends and an inappropriate moment," clarifying that it was not a company event.
Image credits:Meg Kerrigan
After the scandal erupted, Cabot was "inappropriately mislabeled" as a "homewrecker," a term the insider insists does not reflect the nature of her relationship with her then-boss.
The scandal, which reignited discussions on the use of technology and individual privacy in the age of social media, made Cabot scared to leave her house, according to the source.
The mom of two faced threats on her life following the viral incident
The former Astronomer worker reportedly had people waiting outside her car while she was picking her son up from work and "grown women laughing, taking pictures, pointing."
Byron has not commented publicly on the incident.
After his resignation, the tech company stated that their "leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability, and recently, that standard was not met."
One user questioned why Byron didn't "receive as much backlash" as Cabot after the scandal
