The executive at the heart of the “ColdplayGate” controversy, Kristin Cabot, has officially broken her silence regarding the viral stadium moment that derailed her personal and professional life. The incident occurred during a July 2025 Coldplay performance at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts, when Cabot was featured on the venue’s kiss cam alongside her then-employer, Andy Byron, the CEO of a data firm. The brief moment gained international notoriety after lead singer Chris Martin quipped to the crowd that the pair might be having an “affair,” a comment that helped propel the footage to over 100 million views within a matter of days.
Reflecting on the evening, Cabot admitted that her conduct crossed professional boundaries, attributing the lapse in judgment to alcohol consumption during the event. She explained that after having a few High Noons, she acted inappropriately by dancing and kissing her boss, a decision she has since taken full responsibility for. Cabot revealed that the fallout from the event was so severe that she ultimately gave up her career, describing it as the price she chose to pay for her mistake. Despite the viral speculation fueled by the onstage joke, she adamantly denied that an ongoing affair existed, stating that the concert was the first and only time the two had ever kissed.
The transition from a corporate executive to an internet villain was swift and brutal. In the months following the concert, Cabot was targeted with a relentless wave of online harassment, including being labeled with various slurs and subjected to death threats. The scrutiny extended into her physical reality as paparazzi camped outside her residence and strangers tracked down her personal phone number to flood it with calls. Cabot characterized the experience as a horrifying cliché, noting the inherent awkwardness of a head of HR and a CEO being caught in such a compromising position on a global stage.
Beyond the professional damage, Cabot emphasized the profound emotional toll the situation took on her family. She recounted how her children became fearful of being seen with her in public, terrified that the vitriol directed at their mother would lead to physical harm. The situation reached a breaking point several weeks after the concert when Cabot was recognized and verbally confronted by a stranger at a petrol station. She described this public attack as the moment “the wheels fell off the cart,” as her children were left fearing for their lives.
While acknowledging her error, Cabot has used her platform to highlight the human cost of digital infamy. She noted that in the immediate aftermath, she and Byron were left in a state of shock, sitting with their heads in their hands while trying to process the sudden destruction of their reputations. By speaking out, Cabot aims to remind the public that the individuals featured in viral clips are real people with families rather than just characters for internet entertainment. Her account serves as a stark illustration of how a few seconds on a stadium screen can be amplified by social media into a permanent, life-altering spectacle.
