Kristin Cabot is speaking out months after the viral Coldplay kiss cam moment, calling out Ryan Reynolds and Gwyneth Paltrow for their involvement in a controversial ad tied to the incident.
Kristin Cabot calls out Ryan Reynolds and Gwyneth Paltrow
Cabot said she felt let down after Reynolds and Paltrow worked on a lighthearted ad referencing the scandal that cost her job. Speaking to Oprah Winfrey, she called the move “really hypocritical” and unnecessary, especially given the personal fallout she faced.
The ad was created for Astronomer, the tech company where Cabot worked as head of HR alongside then-CEO Andy Byron. It featured Paltrow, who is also the ex-wife of Coldplay’s Chris Martin, and was produced by Reynolds’ Maximum Effort. Cabot said the decision to joke about the situation ignored the real impact behind the viral moment (via PEOPLE).
“That was really disappointing to me,” Cabot said, adding that Paltrow’s brand promotes women’s well-being, making her involvement feel contradictory. She also pointed out Reynolds’ role, saying, “I don’t wanna let Ryan Reynolds off the hook either,” noting he helped create the ad. Cabot revealed that both she and Byron had not approved the ad, despite Paltrow being told otherwise. Winfrey said Paltrow believed they had signed off, something Cabot later clarified directly with her. The misunderstanding added to Cabot’s frustration.
At a Coldplay concert, Cabot and Byron got caught on the kiss cam, and that moment just blew up online. The clip went viral in no time, and suddenly it was everywhere, memes, backlash, and even some pretty nasty threats. Cabot later said the whole situation affected her more than Byron, even though both were part of it. Looking back, she owned up and admitted making a mistake. However, at the same time, she feels people took it way too far. “I own the poor decision that I made in that moment, and I’ve paid an unimaginable price for that,” Cabot said.
