
Kristin Cabot, the human resources director who went viral after she was caught intimately cuddling with her married boss during a Coldplay concert in Boston, has spoken publicly for the first time, denying that she had a sexual relationship with him.
Cabot, 53, and former Astronomer CEO Andy Byron appeared on the concert's giant screen on July 16, in a close-up moment that was broadcast by a "kiss cam."
As soon as they realized they were appearing in front of thousands of people, the two quickly separated and tried to hide, while the moment was also commented on by Coldplay singer Chris Martin, who jokingly said: Either they're cheating, or they're very shy.
After months of silence, Cabot has told the New York Times that it was all a single mistake, fueled by alcohol.
"I made a bad decision. I had a few cocktails, I danced, and I behaved inappropriately with my boss. It's no small thing. I took responsibility and sacrificed my career for it. That was the price I chose to pay," she said.
She admitted that she had a crush on Byron, but stressed that before that evening they had never had any intimate relationship and had never kissed. According to her, the kiss at the concert was their first and last.
The incident became a media storm. Cabot says she was publicly mocked, called a "traitor" by strangers, and received over 60 death threats.
"I want my children to know that people can make serious mistakes, but no one should be threatened with death for a mistake," she said.
The situation was even more complicated since Cabot was the HR director and Byron the CEO of the company.
"It's so cliché and so bad," she recalls.
Both were immediately placed on leave by the company, while after the investigation, Byron resigned as CEO and then Cabot also left.
She also revealed that her estranged husband, Andrew, was also at the concert with another companion. The couple had been married for two years but were separated at the time. Cabot filed for divorce on August 13, while Andrew confirmed that the decision to separate had been made before the incident.
Cabot says her teenage children are undergoing therapy and have been welcomed with understanding at school, while she herself is gradually returning to normal life.
Contact with Andy Byron ended in September, after the two agreed that communication between them made it more difficult to heal and move forward.
The case remains one of the most commented scandals of the summer, opening up a wide debate about private life, public judgment and the consequences of a single wrong moment./Tar