What started as a lighthearted kiss-cam moment at a Coldplay concert has now upended lives, destroyed reputations, and sent shockwaves through the tech industry. Andy Byron, 50, the now-former CEO of billion-dollar AI company Astronomer, resigned after viral footage showed him in a cozy embrace with Kristin Cabot, 52, the firm’s HR chief—despite both being married to other people.
The moment unfolded at Coldplay’s July 16 concert in Boston, where Byron and Cabot were caught on the jumbotron with their arms around each other. The pair’s panicked reaction—Cabot burying her face in her hands and Byron quickly ducking—raised eyebrows instantly. Coldplay frontman Chris Martin quipped to the audience: “Either they’re having an affair or they’re just very shy,” sending the internet into a frenzy and birthing the now-infamous moniker: ColdplayGate.
The scandal didn’t just dominate social media; it detonated the personal and professional lives of the people involved. Astronomer placed both executives on leave and opened a formal investigation. By Saturday, the company released a statement accepting Byron’s resignation:
“Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability, and recently, that standard was not met.”
Behind the Scenes: The “Perfect Lives” Unravel
Both Byron and Cabot appeared to be living idyllic lives before their affair was exposed. Byron’s wife, Megan Kerrigan, had proudly shared family photos of their life together—vacations, graduations, hiking trips—with their two sons. But in the days following the scandal, she first removed “Byron” from her name on social media, then deleted her Facebook account entirely, along with all previously public photos.
Cabot, too, was living a seemingly stable life with her husband, Andrew Cabot, CEO of Privateer Rum. The couple had just purchased a $2.2 million home in Rye, New Hampshire in February. Kristin had also served on the advisory board of her husband’s company since 2020, though her LinkedIn has now been deleted. Notably, she was seen wearing her wedding ring at a family event last year—but it was missing during the concert moment with Byron.
Andrew Cabot, a businessman with deep New England roots, has been married at least twice before and shares two adult children with his first wife. One of those children, Henry, was seen posing with Kristin in family photos shared as recently as 2024.
Astronomer’s Meteoric Rise Meets Viral Turbulence
Astronomer had been soaring before the scandal. The Cincinnati-based tech firm, focused on AI and DataOps, raised $93 million in Series D funding in May 2025, with support from giants like Salesforce and Bain Capital. Byron, who became CEO in 2023, had been credited with accelerating the company’s valuation past $1 billion.
In the wake of the scandal, co-founder and Chief Product Officer Pete DeJoy has stepped in as interim CEO. In a statement, he acknowledged the bizarre nature of the situation:
“While awareness of our company may have changed overnight, our product and our work for our customers have not.”
From Industry Leader to Internet Meme
The scandal became a full-blown cultural moment. Memes and parody reenactments—like one by the Philadelphia Phillies mascots—spread rapidly across social media. The fallout has made the private lives of the individuals involved a matter of global scrutiny.
What remains is a cautionary tale: how one spontaneous, very public moment can unravel years of success and expose the fragility behind “picture-perfect” lives. For Byron, Cabot, and their families, the American dream turned into a digital-age nightmare—streamed, shared, and meme-ified for the world to see.
