JAKARTA - Kristin Cabot, the woman who suddenly went viral for being caught on camera "kiss cam" at the Coldplay concert last July, finally spoke up.
In a recent interview with The New York Times, the 53-year-old revealed how the short video had destroyed her professional and personal life. The incident in Boston not only became public consumption on social media from X to TikTok, but also triggered a major scandal at the technology company Astronomer where she worked.
The aftermath of the video was fatal where Cabot was forced to resign from his position as Head of HR, followed by the resignation of Astronomer CEO Andy Byron, who was also seen with him in the video. Cabot admitted that that night he made a bad decision after drinking alcohol and acting inappropriately with his boss.
"I am responsible and give my career for it. That is the price I have to pay," he said firmly, continued ABC News, Saturday, December 20.
At the time of the incident, Cabot admitted that he had just separated from his husband, as did Byron. However, their reaction on the Jumbotron screen - where Cabot covered his face and Byron avoided the camera - actually triggered public suspicion. In fact, Coldplay vocalist Chris Martin joked on stage by saying that the couple might be having an affair or just very shy, which further heated the speculation of millions of netizens.
The impact of the viral video is much darker than just losing a job. Cabot revealed that he received about 50 to 60 death threats that made his children afraid. He felt very shocked because of the mistake he made ended in a terror that threatened his family's lives. For him, this is a bitter lesson about how quickly the internet can judge someone without knowing the whole context.
Cabot also highlighted the phenomenon of "women bringing down women" which he felt during the difficult time. He felt that many sharp criticisms came from fellow women, which he thought greatly hindered the collective progress of women. This experience changed his view of gender solidarity in the midst of an unforgiving social media storm in dissecting the lives of strangers.
Six months have passed since the concert, Cabot is now trying to get up and start looking for a new job. Although his communication with Byron has ended for the sake of each other's healing process, he tries to face this bitter reality with a little humor. As a symbol of self-acceptance, he even bought a Victoria Beckham shirt that reads "Yes It's Me," indicating his readiness to move forward from the shadow of the scandal.
The English, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, and French versions are automatically generated by the AI. So there may still be inaccuracies in translating, please always see Indonesian as our main language. (system supported by DigitalSiber.id)
