BOSTON – An intimate moment during Coldplay concert sparked a scandal, as Astronomer CEO Andy Byron and the company’s senior official Kristin Cabot were caught kissing on big screen.
The footage captured during a light-hearted “Kiss Cam” segment at Coldplay’s Boston show, went viral after frontman Chris Martin pointed out the pair and joked, “Either they’re having an affair or they’re just very shy.” Internet sleuths quickly identified the couple, unleashing a flood of backlash.
It further added backlash as it emerged that Byron is married with children. Within hours, the incident spiraled beyond social commentary and into internet pop culture.
Coldplay accidentally exposed an alleged affair between Astronomer CEO Andy Byron and his colleague Kristin Cabot at one of their recent concerts. pic.twitter.com/hsJHV2u5UM
— Pop Base (@PopBase) July 17, 2025
Astronomer, the company backed by tech giants like Salesforce Ventures and Insight Partners, responded swiftly to the growing controversy. It said that company’s executives are held to highest standards of integrity and professionalism. Both Byron and Cabot have been placed on administrative leave pending an internal investigation.
Netizens also took note of Alyssa Stoddard, the company’s Senior Director of People, whose shocked facial expression, captured in the same video as gone viral as a meme symbolizing corporate HR’s reaction.
The incident also fueled mockery of Cabot’s LinkedIn bio, which claims she is adept at building trust with “everyone from CEOs to assistants.” The line has been widely quoted and ridiculed, with one user writing, “She definitely built trust with the CEO.”
People also shows compassion for Megan Kerrigan Byron, the CEO’s wife, after online users noticed she had quietly dropped her husband’s surname from her Facebook profile.
