TORONTO, ONTARIO – JULY 07: (L-R) Jonny Buckland, Will Champion, Chris Martin and Guy Berryman of … More
What happens at a Coldplay concert doesn’t always stay at a Coldplay concert, especially when a high-profile CEO’s alleged affair is caught on the Jumbotron. Now, a New York tech company has placed the executive involved on leave following the incident.
The viral video, which has accumulated nearly 90 million views on TikTok, shows a man and woman cuddling before quickly pulling away and hiding their faces during a Kiss Cam segment at a Coldplay concert in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
“Whoa, look at these two,” Coldplay lead singer Chris Martin quipped. “Either they’re having an affair or they’re just very shy.”
Internet sleuths eventually identified the man in the video as Astronomer CEO Andy Byron, who was seen embracing Kristin Cabot, the company’s chief people officer overseeing human resources at the New York-based tech firm.
The New York Post reported that Cabot appears to be married to Privateer Rum CEO Andrew Cabot, and that the couple bought a house together less than five months before the scandal. Meanwhile, Byron is reportedly married to Megan Kerrigan Byron. According to Page Six, Megan removed her surname from Instagram before deleting the account entirely.
Astronomer’s Response to the CEO Cheating Controversy
On July 18, Astronomer issued two statements in response to the alleged cheating scandal, announcing that CEO Andy Byron had been placed on leave and that an investigation was underway.
“Astronomer is committed to the values and culture that have guided us since our founding. Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability,” one of the statements read. “The Board of Directors has initiated a formal investigation into this matter, and we will have additional details to share very shortly.”
Meanwhile, the second statement revealed that Byron “has been placed on leave,” while cofounder and Chief Product Officer Pete DeJoy will serve as interim CEO.
The company also clarified that a second woman in the footage — seen standing next to the pair and laughing awkwardly — is not Alyssa Stoddard, an employee of Astronomer. “No other employees were in the video,” the company said.
Over the past few days, the incident has sparked an online meme frenzy, with people sharing their thoughts on the controversy, re-enacting the moment on TikTok and trying to uncover as much information as possible about the alleged affair.
“The story became akin to a moment from reality television, with commentators taking sides and debating over the details like an episode of Love Island,” Forbes Senior Contributor Dani Di Placido wrote.
Stay tuned to learn more details.
