Coldplay’s Boston concert appears to have exposed a high-profile tech executive and his rumored mistress after their unusual reaction to the show’s “Kiss Cam” segment caught the audience’s attention.
When the camera panned to the pair, the man ducked down to hide, while the woman turned her face away.
The man was later identified as Andy Byron, CEO of the data orchestration company Astronomer. The woman with him — seen in his embrace — was Kristin Cabot, Astronomer’s Chief People Officer.
Coldplay frontman Chris Martin addressed the moment with humor, telling the crowd, “Uh-oh, what? Either they’re having an affair or they’re just very shy.”
“Chris Martin doing Gods work, [sic]” a netizen quipped in praise of the frontman’s unscripted remark. “Imagine getting caught by Coldplay,” another added.
Social media users echoed Chris Martin’s lighthearted but suggestive comment since the video went viral. “HES having an affair… [sic],” one person wrote. “They’re definitely hiding something, that’s for sure,” added another.
One user claimed to recognize the pair immediately, posting, “Oh my God that looks like Astronomer CEO Andy Byron AND Astronomer Chief People Officer Kristin Cabot??? Oh that’s gonna be one awkward board meeting, if not a couple of divorces too. [sic]”
Once it was confirmed that Andy is a married man, another user questioned, “I wonder where he told his wife he was going to be?”
As footage of the moment quickly went viral, internet sleuths and social media users began investigating the duo, reigniting public interest in Andy’s 2023 press release about Kristin’s executive appointment. In the statement, he said:
“Kristin’s exceptional leadership and deep expertise in talent management, employee engagement, and scaling people strategies will be critical as we continue our rapid trajectory. She is a proven leader at multiple growth-stage companies and her passion for fostering diverse, collaborative workplaces makes her a perfect fit for Astronomer.”
Now, those remarks are resurfacing in a very different light. Online commentary on their rumored affair has ranged from humorous to incredulous. “This cheating scandal is the gift that keeps on giving… for the lawyers, that is! Their spouses should be thanking the tabloids right about now 😂😂😂,” one user wrote.
Others quickly noticed that the scandal may not be one-sided. “It looks like she also has a wedding ring on here?” an eagle-eyed viewer noted.
However, Massachusetts court records reveal that Kristin and her ex-husband, Kenneth Thornby, filed for divorce in 2018 and finalized it in 2022. It is unclear whether she has since remarried, though records show the former couple shares at least one child, as Thornby was ordered to pay child support.
As suspicions swirled, many zeroed in on Andy’s marriage. His wife, Megan Kerrigan Byron, initially removed the name Byron from her Facebook profile before eventually deactivating the account altogether. Her Instagram profile has also been taken down.
Megan reportedly acted swiftly after her social accounts were flooded with comments referencing the viral video of her husband and his HR executive at the concert. Ultimately, netizens let Megan know that they were on her side.
Meanwhile, Andy has deactivated his LinkedIn page. “I know the company is going crazy today,” someone commented.
While Andy’s online profiles have vanished, Kristin’s remains publicly visible. Her professional bio reads, “An influential leader and fearless change-agent, I lead by example and win trust with employees of all levels, from CEOs to managers to assistants.”
As the alleged affair garners public attention, scrutiny has returned to Andy’s professional track record, particularly during his time at cybersecurity firm Cybereason.
According to an exposé published by The Information in April 2018, titled “Fake Hire, Staff Departures Roil SoftBank-Backed Security Startup,” Andy was characterized by former employees as combative and toxic in leadership.
“Multiple former employees said Mr. Byron would lash out against employees who disagreed with him, including threatening to fire them,” the article noted. “You couldn’t challenge him,” one former employee said.
Andy served as Cybereason’s chief revenue officer starting in 2017 and worked there for over two years, according to his now-deactivated LinkedIn account. During that time, his management style allegedly drove many employees to quit. In response, he reportedly hired loyal sales staff from his former company, Fuze.
“We started off in the right direction and were very successful,” said one former team member, “but [with] the pressure to grow employees and revenue, it was never enough to just say we were a fast-growing company. We had to be the fastest-growing.” The employee described the environment as “sad.”
Another worker still employed at Cybereason at the time of the article’s publication remarked, “People loved the company. Now they hate it.”
Andy denied allegations of abusive behavior, stating that his decisions had simply disappointed some individuals.
Neither Andy nor Kristin has spoken out on the matter yet, and Andy’s wife has chosen to stay silent, as made clear by her decision to deactivate her social media pages.
