- Kristin Cabot criticised tech firms profiting from her viral kiss-cam incident at Coldplay concert
- Cabot faced public backlash and death threats after clip of her with CEO Andy Byron went viral
- She highlighted how social media algorithms monetize personal pain and fuel viral content spread
Kristin Cabot, former HR executive at Astronomer, lashed out at tech firms for "profiting" from her pain after the viral "kiss-cam" incident at a Coldplay concert in July 2025. Speaking during an on-camera podcast with Oprah Winfrey this week, she talked about how big firms are making millions from such incidents. Cabot, who was then separated from her husband, was caught in a close embrace with her then-boss, CEO Andy Byron. They were standing draped in each other's arms, but when the camera focused on them, they moved away and shielded their faces. The small clip was shared on TikTok and other platforms and became one of the most viral moments of 2025 with over a billion views.
After the incident, Cabot's life was upended. She faced public scrutiny and was labelled as "home-wrecker" and "gold-digger". In December, she revealed that she even received death threats.
"I had no concept of this before, but when something goes this viral, how technology companies are benefiting from this," Cabot said in the interview, which was scheduled to go live on Winfrey's YouTube channel on Tuesday.
"We don't know that when we're forwarding and liking and clicking, we're putting billions of dollars in their pockets and creating an algorithm that feeds it."
"The more pain someone like me is in, the more money they are going to make. And it fuels it and feeds it. I think there is an accountability there that needs to be looked at."
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Cabot criticises Gwyneth Paltrow
She also responded to Gwyneth Paltrow, the Hollywood star and ex-wife of the Coldplay frontman, Chris Martin, for appearing in an advert for Astronomer in the days after the incident.
"I'm heartbroken at how women are treating other women," she said. "I'm trying to figure out why we're eating each other alive? Why do we take such joy in seeing other people suffer? I do believe I got knocked off my course for a reason - how can my experience turn into something positive to keep that conversation alive?"
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"Insensitive" brands milk viral clip
After the "kiss-cam" incident, many brands, including Tesla, Netflix, and StubHub, used it as an opportunity to create humorous and engaging content, which has been labelled "insensitive" on social media.
Tesla, for example, tweeted, "Posting a pic of you enjoying your loaner Tesla while your own one is in service is the equivalent of taking it to a Coldplay concert. Your car will know." StubHub also joined in, posting, "We have Coldplay tickets for you and your favorite coworker".
