Coldplay’s HR boss talks abuse, threats and trying to find new job in viral video

An HR executive hugged her boss on the big screen at a Coldplay concert, describing how “the harassment never ended” after the virus went viral.

Kristin Cabot is speaking out for the first time about a July video of her hugging tech company Astronomer’s then-CEO Andy Byron at a trade show before they suddenly ducked away from the cameras.

Following Mr. Byron’s resignation, the company announced that Byron would be placed on leave and subject to an investigation, and that Ms. Cabot, 53, who had been the company’s chief people officer, also resigned.

Speaking to The Times, Ms Cabot said she had been looking for another job but was told she was “unemployed”.

The video, which shows the pair swaying to music at a concert in Boston, Massachusetts and then trying to hide, went viral after Coldplay frontman Chris Martin told the crowd: “Either they’re having an affair or they’re just really shy.”

The video was viewed millions of times and shared widely across platforms, with the pair becoming the butt of many jokes. Within days, the internet took off, but for Ms. Cabot, her ordeal was just beginning.

“I became a meme, I’m the most reviled HR manager in the history of HR,” Ms. Cabot said. tell the times.

Ms. Cabot is separated from her husband, who was also at the concert.

in a separate interview new york timesshe explained that she had not had sex with Mr Byron and the pair had never kissed before that night – although she admitted she had a “crush” on her boss.

“I made a bad decision, had a few high-profile moments, danced with my boss and behaved inappropriately,” she said, adding that she “accepted responsibility and I gave up my career for it”.

As for why she chose to speak out now, Ms Cabot told The Times: “… it’s not over for me, it’s not over for my children. The harassment never ends.”

She said her two children were too embarrassed to be picked up from school by their mother or go to sporting events.

“They’re angry with me. They’ll probably be angry with me for the rest of their lives – I have to accept that.”

Ms Cabot wanted to know whether Mr Byron had been subjected to the same level of abuse throughout the ordeal, The Times reported.

“I think as a woman, as women always do, I took most of the abuse. People would say things like I was a ‘money digger’ or ‘slept my way to the top,’ which is far from reality,” she said.

“I’ve spent my whole life trying to eliminate this, and here I am being blamed.”

At the height of the scandal, her appearance, body, face and clothes were scrutinized and dismantled, with high-profile celebrities including Whoopi Goldberg onlookers. Gwyneth Paltrow, who was once married to Chris Martin, even appeared in a tongue-in-cheek promotional video for The Astronomer.

Ms Cabot told the New York Times she received threatening messages after the incident, with one person saying they knew where she shopped and writing: “I’m coming for you.”

“My children were worried that I would die and they would die,” she said, and her family became afraid of public places and social events.

She told the New York Times that women were the cruelest critics, with all face-to-face bullying and most of the calls and messages coming from women.

Her private details were posted online (called “doxing”) and she was bombarded with as many as 600 calls a day for weeks, the New York Times reported. She said the paparazzi outside her home were like a “parade” and that 50 or 60 people had received death threats.

However, things are starting to look up. Ms. Cabot said she has found a therapist for her children and that she has begun leaving home to play tennis.

She said that while she and Byron stayed in touch for a brief period, exchanging “crisis management advice,” they decided “talking to each other would make it difficult for everyone to move on and heal” and have not spoken since.

Byron, for his part, has yet to speak publicly.

After the concert, a false statement purporting to be from him (complete with Coldplay lyrics) went viral, forcing The Astronomer to issue its own statement saying he had made no comment.

“The Astronomers are committed to the values ​​and culture that have guided us since our founding,” the statement read. “Our leaders are expected to set standards in conduct and responsibility.”

Then he said: “Andy Byron has submitted his resignation and the board of directors has accepted it.”

The BBC attempted to contact Andy Byron for comment through his former employer, the Astronomer.