Thu Sep 25 10:30:00 UTC 2025: **Headline: Source Defends Executive After Viral “Kiss Cam” Incident Leads to Job Loss and Online Harassment**
**Foxboro, MA** – A source close to Kristin Cabot, the former Chief People Officer of Astronomer, is speaking out after a viral moment at a Coldplay concert sparked a wave of media scrutiny, leading to her resignation and a barrage of online harassment. The incident, in which Cabot and then-Astronomer CEO Andy Byron were caught on the “kiss cam” at a July 16th concert, has been misrepresented and unfairly blown out of proportion, according to the source.
Footage showed Byron with his arm around Cabot, the pair attempting to hide their faces after being featured on the big screen. The awkward reaction prompted Coldplay’s Chris Martin to joke about a possible affair, inadvertently igniting a firestorm of speculation and public shaming. Both Cabot and Byron subsequently left Astronomer, with the company stating that its leaders must “set the standard in both conduct and accountability, and recently, that standard was not met.”
The source insists that there was no affair between Cabot and Byron, describing their relationship as a close friendship and professional partnership. While acknowledging that the hug at the concert was inappropriate, the source maintains that the subsequent scandal, job loss, and online abuse were disproportionate to the offense.
“Kristin and Andy had an excellent working relationship, a great friendship. There was no affair,” the source told PEOPLE Magazine. “It was inappropriate to be hugging your boss at a concert, and she accepts full responsibility for it. But the scandal, the downfall, the loss of the job — all of that is unfair.”
Furthermore, the source clarifies that Cabot was already separated from her husband, Andrew, prior to the concert, and subsequently filed for divorce in August. The source also confirmed reports that Cabot’s now estranged husband also attended the Coldplay concert on a date.
The most concerning aspect of the fallout, according to the source, has been the level of online harassment directed at Cabot, including hundreds of death threats. She faced constant paparazzi harrassment and ridicule.
“Kristin had people standing outside her car while she was picking her son up from work, grown women laughing, taking pictures, pointing,” the source said. “It’s been a tough thing to watch.”
The source added that Cabot is now focusing on her family and navigating the difficult situation, surrounded by supportive friends and family.
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