Kristin Cabot, the former human resources executive at the center of a viral corporate scandal, revealed Tuesday that she has severed all ties with former Astronomer CEO Andy Byron, citing a “big miss on honesty and integrity” regarding his personal life.
Speaking on The Oprah Podcast on March 17, Cabot detailed the collapse of her relationship with Byron following their infamous appearance on a Coldplay “kiss cam” last summer. The incident, which occurred while both were still employed at the data orchestration firm Astronomer, led to their swift departures from the company and ignited a global media firestorm.
The Breakdown of Trust
Cabot told Oprah Winfrey that she officially ended communication with Byron last fall. While she stopped short of confirming specific allegations that Byron lied about being separated from his wife at the time of the concert, she indicated that the foundation of their relationship was built on false pretenses.
“He wasn’t the person he represented himself to be to me,” Cabot said during the interview. “Lying is a non-negotiable for me. A lot of what was represented to me was not true.”
At the time of the concert, Cabot was navigating a divorce from her estranged husband. She maintained on Tuesday—as she has in previous interviews with The New York Times—that she “unequivocally” believed Byron was in a similar situation. However, following the viral incident, Byron was photographed in public wearing his wedding ring alongside his wife.
A ‘Stark Difference’ in Consequences
Cabot utilized the platform to highlight what she described as a gender-based double standard in the aftermath of corporate and public scandals. While Byron has remained silent and reportedly continues to receive professional opportunities, Cabot described a reality of “unimaginable” personal and professional costs.
“I think he has the luxury of staying silent, and he can go back to work when he’s ready. I don’t,” Cabot said. “I have to come out and explain and justify in order to get back on my feet. That’s a stark difference between the man and the woman in this situation.”
Cabot detailed the “disproportionately cruel” reaction to the footage, which included relentless online harassment and death threats. She admitted that while the kiss was a “poor decision,” the subsequent fallout—which included Chris Martin joking from the stage about a possible “affair”—transformed her life into a cautionary tale of digital-age scrutiny.
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From Crisis Management to Total Silence
The timeline of their fallout appears to have concluded in September. Following the concert, Cabot noted the two initially maintained contact to provide “crisis management advice” to one another as they navigated the loss of their careers at Astronomer.
However, Cabot stated that their final meeting in September led to the realization that continued contact was an impediment to healing.
“I was left holding the bag,” Cabot told Winfrey. “Being the one that was attacked for this while he remained silent… that’s not a quality I would look for in a friend, a partner, or a boss. We have no relationship now.”
Byron has consistently declined to comment on the matter. Multiple requests for comment from Byron’s representatives were not returned at the time of publication.
