HR exec Kristin Cabot resigns after Coldplay ‘kiss cam’ scandal

Kristin Cabot, the chief people officer of Astronomer, has resigned after a brief clip from a Coldplay concert exploded online. 

Cabot and Astronomer CEO Andy Byron – who also resigned last week – were spotted embracing at a Coldplay concert in Foxborough, Massachusetts, earlier this month.

Cabot oversaw human resources at the New York-based tech company, which recently announced it was investigating the incident.

“Astronomer is committed to the values and culture that have guided us since our founding. Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability,” the company said in a statement posted on LinkedIn and X as it made the announcement.

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The video, initially displayed during a “kiss cam” moment on the venue’s big screen, showed Byron embracing Cabot. Both tried to duck out of frame. That small act didn’t save them from becoming the internet’s latest obsession.

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In an age where personal moments are just a phone tap away from global scrutiny, tech leaders are learning the hard way that public image is no longer confined to boardrooms and press releases.

“Either they’re having an affair or they’re just very shy,” Coldplay frontman Chris Martin joked from the stage.

Within hours, the video was reposted across TikTok, X and Instagram, racking up millions of views. Online detectives quickly identified the pair as Byron and Cabot, and the fact that Byron was married sparked even more fervent speculation.

The internet response was immediate and relentless: fake resignation letters, parodies and memes circulated nonstop. One widely shared image likened the couple to Miss Piggy and Fozzie Bear, adding mockery to scrutiny.

What followed were the resignations of Byron and Cabot, a direct result of the public spectacle.

Not cancel culture

Legal expert Greg Lukianoff clarified in an interview with ABC News that while this isn’t a textbook case of cancel culture, it illustrates how fast a digital mob can demand accountability. 

“The kiss cam incident didn’t actually represent what we would define as cancel culture,” he said, referencing that it wasn’t about free speech per se. “But it shows how easily viral moments create the appearance of a sudden mob demanding that someone be fired.”

He added that cancel culture’s hallmark lies in its viral pressure: “The defining characteristic… is the ability to create the appearance of sudden mob[s] demanding that you fire your IT person or retract an article or shut down your business.”

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