Rhianna Benson
The woman at the centre of the Coldplay kiss cam controversy has this week spoken out, claiming the 16-second viral video footage had ruined her life.
For those in need of a reminder, back in July, while hosting a concert in Boston as part of their US leg of their recent world tour, the British band incorporated a segment of the show during which they'd turn the camera to their audience.
Some fans were shown dancing, smiling, and showing off their elaborate banners, but one couple were seen holding one another close. The woman was pinned to the balcony while her male acquaintance wrapped his arms around her from behind.
In a shock twist of fate, however, the horrified pair immediately broke apart, implying they were very much not a couple.
Advert
At the time, the band's frontman Chris Martin joked: "Either they’re having an affair or they’re just very shy!"
It was later revealed that the man in question was married, and the CEO of the tech-data firm Astronomer, Andy Byron. His female friend, meanwhile, worked as the company's chief people officer, and was identified as Kristin Cabot.
In the days that followed the viral moment, a formal investigation was launched by those in charge of the $1.3billion software firm, with both Bryon and Cabot sensationally stepping down from their powerful roles.
And as we say, after months of silence on the matter, Cabot has now spoken out on the hotly-discussed scandal.
Speaking to The Times, she reflected on her immediate response to being filmed, which was to cover her face, revealing she'd been spurred by the fact that her estranged husband was in the same audience.
"I could have been struck by lightning, I could have won the lottery, or this could have happened," the personnel rep recalled. "Even if I did have an affair, it’s not anybody’s business."
Comparing the viral moment to 'a scarlet letter', Cabot revealed that not only did it cost her her job, but it also saw her subjected to a horde of threatening, shaming and even aggressive online messages.
'I became a meme, I was the most maligned HR manager in HR history," she continued. "People erased everything I’d accomplished in my life and achieved in my career. This can’t be the final word."
Of the adultery accusations she endured as a result of the footage, Cabot went on to insist that she and her boss - whom she had a 'big happy crush' on - had not yet been physical when the concert took place.
They had, however, grown closer in the weeks beforehand, having already split from their respective partners. As such, she'd invited Byron to the show after being gifted two free tickets.
During the band's performance, Cabot admitted to feeling 'on top of the world' as Byron held her, so much so that she allegedly didn't hear the jumbotron announcement, not realising that cameras were panning around until her face was 'suddenly' plastered across the big screen.
"My immediate reaction was, 'Holy s**t, Andrew’s here'," she confessed. "We were in the middle of an incredibly - and amazingly - amicable separation. I was worried I would embarrass him."
Afterwards, her ex-husband, from whom she filed for divorce back in August, went on to share the viral clip online, causing one of her kids to burst into tears. In Cabot's own admission, her other children are so embarrassed by her behaviour, that they won't allow her to collect them from school.
Cabot also claimed that she and Byron no longer speak.
The original woman who posted the clip of the coworkers online, Grace Springer, previously told The U.S. Sun: "I had no idea who the couple was. Just thought I caught an interesting reaction to the kiss cam and decided to post it.
"A part of me feels bad for turning these people’s lives upside down, but, play stupid games… win stupid prizes.
"I hope their partners can heal from this and get a second chance at the happiness they deserve with their future still in front of them."