On July 16, 2017, a 53-year-old mother of two named Kristin Cabot stole the show at a Coldplay concert in Boston. The ex-head of Human Resources at Astronomer found herself at the center of a viral “kiss cam” incident. Thanks to an eagle-eyed fellow concertgoer, one of the most memorable moments was caught on camera and posted to TikTok. It captured Cabot hugging Andy Byron, the CEO of Astronomer, on a VIP balcony before they realized their faces were flashing across the concert’s Jumbotron.
With both Cabot and Byron divorced from their spouses at that time, the incident caused a storm of debate on the internet. The video overwhelmingly struck a chord with millions of viewers, analyzing their unplanned act of love. When those seconds started ticking down, Cabot just began to put her hands over her face in instinct. In the meantime, Byron disappeared off-screen, resulting in an instant comeuppance.
In the wake of the viral video, both Cabot and Byron left their positions at Astronomer. The incident had a lasting impact on Cabot. She chronically overshared about her struggle to put her life back together. Almost half a year later, she’s still looking for work.
“I made a bad decision and had a couple of High Noons and danced and acted inappropriately with my boss. And it’s not nothing,” – Kristin Cabot
Cabot looked back on the incident and its aftermath, and explained how the experience has changed both her personal and professional life. She wasn’t prepared to feel so particularly singled out as a target by other women after the video dropped. The response from her colleagues has been louder than she anticipated.
“What I’ve seen these last months makes it harder for me to believe that it’s all about the men holding us back,” – Cabot
Cabot also called attention to a bigger concern she sees where women are ‘disenfranchised’ from the workplace. She stated, “I think [women] are holding ourselves back tremendously by cutting each other down.” This attitude illuminates the nuanced realities of workplace culture, particularly under the pressure of public accountability.
Cabot has not communicated with Byron since this past September. He thinks staying in touch would make it even harder for both of them to heal. She acknowledged her accountability in the situation, stating, “I took accountability and I gave up my career for that. That’s the price I chose to pay.”
This devastating event is a poignant reminder of just how rapidly only a few seconds can irrevocably alter our lives. This is particularly the case when we’re in the spotlight. As Kristin Cabot continues to navigate her new reality, she reflects on the lessons learned through her experience and advocates for unity among women in professional settings.
