Coldplay 'Kiss Cam' Woman: Death Threats and Chris Martin's Ex-Wife Ad

Kristin Cabot, Chief People Officer at Astronomer, is speaking out about the aftermath of a "kiss cam" incident at a Coldplay concert that went viral. The incident led to death threats and significant distress for her children, who even required therapy. Cabot has also voiced her disappointment with her former company's handling of the situation, particularly a promotional ad that featured Chris Martin's ex-wife, Gwyneth Paltrow.

What began as a seemingly innocent moment at a Coldplay concert dramatically altered Kristin Cabot's life. Months after the infamous "kiss cam" clip spread online, she is now sharing the emotional consequences, the fear her children experienced, and her dissatisfaction with the public relations response to the controversy.

The incident occurred in July when Cabot was captured on camera embracing her boss, Andy Byron, during a Coldplay concert. This brief moment, broadcast on the concert's "kiss cam," quickly went viral, generating millions of views, memes, and intense speculation about the identities of those involved.

As internet users identified them as senior executives at tech startup Astronomer, the online reaction intensified, sparking debates about workplace ethics and personal conduct. Astronomer subsequently launched an internal investigation. Byron resigned from his CEO position, and Cabot later stepped down from her role as head of human resources.

In the wake of the backlash, Astronomer released a promotional video featuring Gwyneth Paltrow, Chris Martin’s ex-wife, who described herself as a “very temporary” spokesperson for the company. Instead of directly addressing the controversy, the video humorously promoted Astronomer’s data workflow services, a move that many saw as an attempt to deflect attention from the issue.

Cabot addressed the ad featuring Paltrow in an interview with The New York Times on December 18, expressing her disappointment with the company's handling of the situation. She noted that she had previously admired Paltrow for creating Goop as a platform to empower women.

Cabot stated that the experience revealed a harsh reality: how quickly women can turn against each other when personal mistakes become public. She suggested that while men in power are often blamed for holding women back, women also contribute to the problem through judgment and ridicule. Cabot clarified that her criticism of the ad was not intended to excuse male behavior but to highlight how easily accountability can be misdirected.

Cabot also shared the emotional toll the scandal had on her family. She revealed that she received death threats after the video went viral. Her children overheard one threatening message, which heightened their existing distress and led them to genuinely fear for their lives.

Cabot recounted how her children became afraid to go outside and described instances where strangers photographed her in public. In one particularly upsetting incident, her daughter asked to leave a public pool in tears after being recognized.

"They were afraid that I was going to die and they were going to die," Cabot said, describing the depth of their fear. "That’s when the wheels fell off the cart."

Cabot also recalled being confronted and shamed by groups of women in public, leaving her feeling helpless to protect her children emotionally. Her children eventually began therapy, returned to school, and were gradually met with kindness again, she said.

Kristin Cabot's then-husband, Andrew Cabot, issued a statement clarifying that they had separated weeks before the concert and asking for respect for her privacy. The couple later filed for divorce. Cabot told The New York Times that he had treated her with dignity throughout the ordeal.