Daily Tribune
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF ETHAN MILLER
During Coldplay’s sold-out event at Gillette Stadium in Boston, the stadium’s ‘kiss cam’ focused on a couple hugging (inset) Andy Byron, chief executive officer of Astronomer; and Kristin Cabot.
Nobody anticipated Coldplay would cause a viral scandal when the British rock band performed at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on 17 July.
But that is what happened after a “kiss cam” scene between two tech executives from data science company Astronomer went viral online.
15 July: The concert that sparked it all
During Coldplay’s sold-out event at Gillette Stadium in Boston, the stadium’s “kiss cam” focused on a couple hugging. The man quickly ducked out of view, while the woman turned away and covered her face, making Coldplay’s Chris Martin quip onstage: “They’re either having an affair… or they’re very shy.”
The moment went viral on TikTok and other social media platforms, garnering tens of millions of views.
16 to 17 July: Internet identifies the cheating couple
Online users identified the pair as Andy Byron, chief executive officer (CEO) of Astronomer; and Kristin Cabot, the same company’s chief people officer. Both were allegedly married to other people at the time. Megan Kerrigan, Byron’s wife, removed his surname from her social media profiles then later deleted her pages.
18 July: Astronomer responds
Astronomer released a statement, announcing that Byron had been placed on leave awaiting an internal inquiry. The organization stressed its dedication to leadership responsibility and ethical practices.
19 July: CEO resigns
Byron officially resigned from his role as CEO. Astronomer named co-founder Pete DeJoy as interim CEO. Cabot was placed on leave, but not fired, due to legal complexities surrounding her HR (human resources) role.
20 to 21 July: Fallout and reactions
Byron and Cabot deleted their LinkedIn profiles. Their families faced intense public scrutiny, with Byron’s wife and Cabot’s husband both retreating from public view.
The scandal became a cultural phenomenon, inspiring memes, parodies by netizens and widespread media coverage.
21 to 22 July: Legal and corporate implications
Legal experts weighed in, suggesting Cabot’s termination could be complicated due to contractual protections and her senior HR position. DeJoy acknowledged the scandal’s impact but noted the company is now a “household name” and remains committed to its mission.
