Nathaniel Cullerton, a 45-year-old partner at New York law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, drew online mockery after a TikToker asked him to “get a room” while filming him sharing an intimate moment with his 29-year-old colleague Kelsey Borenswig in Central Park.
However, the situation took a more serious turn after it emerged that Cullerton was married, turning what first appeared to be a cheeky office-romance tryst into a full-blown scandal.
Highlights
- NYC lawyer Nathaniel Cullerton faces workplace consequences after his viral Central Park kiss with colleague Kelsey Borenswig sparked controversy.
- The incident drew comparisons to the Coldplay kiss cam scandal involving Andy Byron and Kristin Cabot.
- The viral video has also sparked a wider debate over whether filming strangers in public is justified.
The internet was quick to brand him a “cheater” and liken him to Andy Byron from the Coldplay kiss cam controversy.
Now, according to a new development in the case, the fallout from the furor has gone beyond commentary on his private life, with reports indicating that he is facing serious repercussions at work.
NYC lawyer’s canoodling with younger colleague has triggered career crisis
Image credits: jayguap3
Cullerton has been placed on leave pending further investigation by his company, according to a Tuesday, July 28 report by The Financial Times.
It was also reported that he was in the middle of defecting from Wachtell to rival firm Gibson Dunn alongside five other partners, but his hiring was scrapped in the aftermath of his viral video.
Comedian Jay Guapo shared the clip with his 3.5 million followers on July 23.
“Get a room. There’s kids watching,” he told him and Borenswig while they were in the middle of sharing a passionate kiss.
Cullerton even walked up to the comedian and demanded that he “put the phone down,” but to no avail.
Image credits: jayguap3
It remains unclear when Cullerton and Borenswig’s romance started or whether it was known to human resources, but the pair worked closely together to win Sam Altman’s case against Elon Musk in May 2026.
In a photo taken during the trial, Cullerton was seen smiling as he walked out of the federal courthouse in Oakland, California, with Borenswig just a few steps behind him.
Questions also remain over whether the junior attorney was investigated in connection with the video or if she was placed on leave as well.
As of this writing, both Cullerton and Borenswig’s attorney profiles remain active on Wachtell’s website.
Netizens drew parallels between the lawyer’s incident and the Coldplay kiss cam scandal
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During the British pop band’s Foxborough, Massachusetts, concert, the kiss cam operator highlighted a couple embracing on the stadium’s big screen. This led them to scramble to hide their faces.
Frontman Chris Martin joked to the crowd, “Oh, what… either they’re having an affair, or they’re very shy.”
Image credits: instaagraace
Netizens later identified the duo as Andy Byron and Kristin Cabot, the CEO and Chief People Officer of tech company Astronomer.
It turned out they were indeed in a secret relationship.
“Coldplay kiss cam energy,” an X user wrote while likening Cullerton and Borenswig’s reaction to being filmed.
“Didn’t y’all learn from the Coldplay concert scandal not to cheat in public, lmao?” remarked another.
Byron and Cabot’s scandal also had professional repercussions, with both losing their jobs
Image credits: SiliconANGLE theCUBE / Oprah
In an exclusive interview with The New York Times in December, Cabot said she was privately and amicably separated from her husband at the time, while acknowledging that she knew her boss was married.
However, she claimed Byron told her he was actively planning a divorce.
Cabot described their kiss cam moment as a “bad decision” that she made while under the influence of liquor.
She said she took accountability for her misjudgment by giving up her career.
“That’s the price I chose to pay.”
Byron’s resignation, meanwhile, was announced by Astronomer on July 19.
Cullerton and Borenswig’s viral video has sparked a debate about privacy
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In today’s digital world, anyone who steps outside risks appearing in the background of someone else’s video.
Smartphones have made recording strangers in public increasingly common, while newer technologies like Meta’s smart glasses have made cameras even harder to detect.
Image credits: jayguap3
The question of how much such filming is justified has come under renewed debate following the viral video of Cullerton and Borenswig.
Image credits: Watchell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz / Watchell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz
“This is creepy, this is not an episode of Cheaters,” one TikTok user commented, while another added, “It’s morally wrong to film strangers just living their lives.”
A third user, defending the practice of filming in public, meanwhile advised people like Cullerton and Borenswig to “indeed get a room.”
“As long as it quashes the audacity of rich white people, I don’t mind,” said a fourth.
"Always assume there's a camera around you, because there usually is," a separate user remarked
