The woman who became an unwilling internet sensation after a Coldplay concert "kiss cam" this past summer is now publicly criticizing Oscar winner Gwyneth Paltrow for poking fun at her humiliation. Former Astronomer HR executive Kristin Cabot, 53, has labelled Paltrow a "hypocrite" for her role in a viral video that mocked the scandal, which ultimately led to Cabot losing her job.
The Viral Moment That Sparked a Firestorm
In July 2025, during a sold-out Coldplay show at Gillette Stadium outside Boston, the concert's "kiss cam" spotlight landed on Cabot and her then-boss, Astronomer CEO Andy Byron. As their images appeared on the giant screens, frontman Chris Martin playfully commented, "Ohhh look at these two!" The couple's reaction, however, was one of panic. Byron quickly ducked out of view, while Cabot shielded her face.
Martin's on-stage remark—"Either they're having an affair or they're just very shy. I hope we didn't do something bad"—fueled immediate speculation online. The clip, shared by fan Grace Springer with the caption "Trouble in paradise?", exploded across TikTok and X, racking up hundreds of millions of views. Internet sleuths soon identified both individuals, with social media users concluding they were cheating on their respective partners.
Career Fallout and Celebrity Mockery
The viral fallout was swift and severe. Within days, both Cabot and Byron resigned from Astronomer as their LinkedIn profiles circulated widely. The scandal took another turn when Gwyneth Paltrow, Chris Martin's ex-wife, appeared in a tongue-in-cheek video for the company. In the clip, posted to Astronomer's social media in December 2025, Paltrow acted as a "temporary spokesperson" to humorously address the "newfound interest" in the data workflow firm.
The video, which garnered over 37 million views, added to the public humiliation. Cabot, however, did not find it amusing. In an interview with The Times of the U.K., she expressed her disappointment, stating she had been a fan of Paltrow's wellness brand, Goop. "I thought, 'How dare she after the beating she got for all the conscious uncoupling stuff.' What a hypocrite," Cabot said. She revealed she threw out all her Goop products in protest.
Life Upended by a "Bad Decision"
Months after the incident, Cabot opened up about the devastating personal consequences. She told the New York Times that a "bad decision" after having "a couple of High Noons" led to her life being upended. She was attending the concert while going through a separation—her then-husband was also present—and believed Byron was separated as well. She described simply wanting to "blow off some steam."
The aftermath was brutal. Cabot reported receiving death threats and 500 to 600 harassing calls per day. The mother of two described the moment she saw herself on screen as one of sheer horror and embarrassment. The fan who captured the original video, Grace Springer, summed up the public sentiment to the U.S. Sun with a blunt six-word assessment: "Play stupid games … win stupid prizes."
While a source close to Paltrow told PEOPLE magazine the ad "came together very quickly" and that the actress found the concept funny, for Cabot, the episode remains a painful chapter marked by public ridicule and profound personal cost.
