Astronomer's HR Head, Kristin Cabot, Addresses 'Kiss Cam' Firing: 'It's Not Nothing...'

Kristin Cabot, previously the Head of Human Resources at the tech company Astronomer, has broken her silence regarding the viral incident that she says ended her career. In an interview published in The New York Times on Thursday, Cabot addressed the “Kiss Cam” moment that occurred at a Coldplay concert. She attributed the incident to a “bad decision” influenced by “a couple of High Noons.”

Cabot acknowledged that her behavior with Andy Byron, who was then the CEO of Astronomer, was inappropriate. The 16-second clip of their public display of affection, which was shown on a giant screen at the concert and subsequently shared online, turned the 53-year-old executive into an internet meme. Cabot admits this incident has made her “unemployable.” She described the events leading up to the viral moment and the aftermath, explaining it was a lapse in judgment. Cabot confessed to developing a “big happy crush” on Byron, particularly after discovering he was going through a divorce.

"I made a bad decision and had a couple of High Noons and danced and acted inappropriately with my boss,” she stated, adding, “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.” Cabot explained that her intention that night was simply “to put a cute outfit on and go out and dance and laugh and have a great night. And that’s how it was tracking.” Despite an internal warning, Cabot said she felt “on top of the world” just before the camera focused on them.

Cabot also revealed that she received death threats following the incident. She stated that she was doxxed and received hundreds of calls each day for weeks. Cabot also said she had to deal with people she called 'paparazzi' camping outside her home and cars parading in her block. She clarified that, contrary to some reports, she received “50 or 60” death threats, not “900.” She emphasized, “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 killed for them.”