Source : PERTHNOW NEWS
The HR executive at the centre of the viral Coldplay “kiss cam” scandal has taken aim at Ryan Reynolds and Gwyneth Paltrow, slamming the pair for “hypocritical” behaviour after they poked fun at the controversy that upended her life.
Speaking to Oprah Winfrey in a new sit-down, Kristin Cabot said she was deeply disappointed by the Hollywood stars’ involvement in a tongue-in-cheek ad tied to her former workplace, Astronomer.
“It just felt really hypocritical to me and unnecessary,” she said.
Cabot, who was filmed embracing her then-boss Andy Byron during a Coldplay concert last year, became the target of intense online scrutiny after the moment went viral.
The fallout cost both her and Byron their jobs and triggered a wave of memes, mockery and abuse, with much of it directed at her.
One of the most high-profile responses came in the form of a short ad featuring Paltrow, the ex-wife of Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, which poked fun at the scandal. The ad was produced by Reynolds’ company, Maximum Effort.
“That was really disappointing to me,” Cabot told Winfrey. “I felt like Gwyneth, someone whose company (Goop) is founded on or framed around uplifting women and women’s well-being … she doesn’t need the money.”
“I don’t know why she felt she needed to throw gas on the fire and get involved in all of this,” Cabot said.
She didn’t stop there, also calling out Reynolds directly.
“I don’t wanna let Ryan Reynolds off the hook either. He produced the ad, he created it and his wife (Blake Lively) has just gone through something really similar over the last year.”
Cabot said Paltrow later told Winfrey she only agreed to appear in the ad because she believed Cabot and Byron had signed off on it, something Cabot disputes.
Kristin Cabot says Andy Byron wasn’t honest
Cabot opened up about her former boss during the interview with Oprah, when asked if she had spoken to her former boss since.
“I ended my communication with Andy in midfall. There was a big miss on honesty and integrity,” Cabot told Oprah.
“I don’t… he didn’t, he wasn’t the person he represented himself to be to me and lying is not a non-negotiable for me.”
At the time, Cabot said she believed Byron was also separating from his spouse, like she was. But she later realised he had not been fully honest about his situation. “He missed the mark on being as honest as he could have been with me,” she said.
“But I was left holding the bag and I don’t, you know, being the one that was attacked for this, with you know, he’s remained silent,” Cabot added.
“To me, that’s not a quality I would look for in a friend or a partner or a boss. So, we have no relationship now.”
“I want to be really clear careful because the world spoke for me and on my behalf and I don’t want to do that to somebody else and their family. I don’t feel comfortable,” she said. “But I will say like a lot of what was represented to me was not true.”
Cabot also spoke about the personal toll of the scandal, revealing she had been going through a separation at the time and had developed feelings for Byron in the weeks leading up to the concert.
“We developed feelings for each other during that time, for sure,” Cabot said.
“I had been going through a really tough time. I was coming out of a separation, and it felt really good to get attention and affection from an awesome man,” she added.
While she admitted to a lapse in judgement, Cabot said the level of backlash she received went far beyond the mistake.
“I own the poor decision that I made in that moment, and I’ve paid an unimaginable price for that.”
She also pushed back on online criticism and the broader culture of piling on.
“I’ve certainly seen funny things online and forwarded them around and clicked on them. I just don’t think people really stop and think about, there’s real humans behind this,” she said.
Reflecting on the experience, Cabot said she hopes it sparks a wider conversation, particularly about how women treat each other.
“I’m heartbroken at how women are treating other women,” she said.
“I just think we’re holding each other back. Let’s stop.”
Oprah apologises for judging Cabot
During the interview, Winfrey acknowledged she had initially judged Cabot like many others who watched the viral clip.
“I was like everybody else. I didn’t watch it hundreds of times or even more than once, but I made the judgment that you had made a mistake and you’re out with your boss,” she said.
She later offered an apology of sorts, reflecting on the public pile-on.
“People say that that video … was the thing that united people,” Winfrey said. “And I feel bad for us as human beings if that’s what we did to you.”
“Thank you,” Cabot responded.
