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Coldplay concert incident: A lighthearted "Kiss Cam" moment during a Coldplay show in Boston has turned into a huge corporate scandal after Astronomer CEO Andy Byron was suspected of getting intimate with the company's Chief People Officer, Kristin Cabot, in front of thousands of spectators. The moment played out at Gillette Stadium on Wednesday evening when Coldplay lead singer Chris Martin flipped his band's classic 'Kiss Cam' onto Byron and Cabot. In the viral video, Byron has his arms wrapped around Cabot's chest and their fingers locked together, before they realize they're on the 'kiss-cam' screen. Chris Martin joked that the couple were either having an affair or being very bashful, as Cabot covered her face and Byron awkwardly scooted out of sight. In a matter of hours, the clip had garnered millions of views on social media sites, with online speculation reaching fever pitch about a potential office affair.

Who Is Kristin Cabot?

Kristin Cabot, who joined Astronomer as Chief People Officer in November of 2024, brings more than two decades of people and culture leadership experience. Previously, she served in senior HR positions at Neo4j, ObserveIT, and Proofpoint and is highly respected in Silicon Valley for creating high-performing teams and diverse workplace cultures. Cabot is a Bachelor of Political Science graduate from Gettysburg College. Her profile on LinkedIn portrays her as a "influential leader and fearless change agent" that "wins trust with CEOs and employees at every level." According to reports, Cabot finalised her divorce from her former husband Kenneth Thornby in 2022, with whom she shares at least one child.

Andy Byron, who became CEO at Astronomer in July 2023, is an experienced tech executive with past leadership positions at Lacework, Cybereason, Fuze, and BMC Software. Byron has a wife, Megan Kerrigan Byron, who is a teacher and associate director at Massachusetts's Bancroft School. They have two children. Social media followers soon realized that Megan has removed "Byron" from her last name on Facebook, suggesting the marriage could now be in trouble after the viral incident.

No Official Statement Yet From Astronomer

Up until Friday morning, Astronomer, which achieved unicorn startup status in 2022 with a value of over USD 1 billion, had not released any statement regarding the supposed affair or the trending video. Byron nor Cabot has publicly spoken to the circulating rumors. The episode has generated fresh debate regarding workplace relationships, HR morals, and the need for professional boundaries, particularly as Cabot is the Chief People Officer tasked with enforcing the firm's HR guidelines.

Internet Reacts: "Lesson From Her Own HR Handbook"

There have been memes and reactions aplenty on X (previously Twitter) and Instagram. "Cost of a concert: Hotel USD 200, tickets USD 600, drinks USD 150, divorce lawyer USD 50,000. Getting exposed by Coldplay: priceless," one wrote. While this was happening, another individual by the name of Andy Byron, who is a video production professional, had to set the record straight online that he wasn't the CEO embroiled in the controversy. He added to his LinkedIn bio: "NOT THE GUY FROM THE COLDPLAY GIG!!"

ALSO READ: Who Is Andy Byron? Astronmer CEO's Viral Kiss Cam Video Sparks Affair Allegations | Watch

Netizens indicate that the episode could have grave HR and legal consequences should company guidelines for executive behavior and conflict of interest have been violated. Numerous observers have urged the Astronomers' board of directors to come out with a clear clarification on the issue. For the time being, Coldplay's viral 'Kiss Cam' moment has become an inadvertent expose that could redefine the professional careers of two high-ranking executives, and a warning sign for combining business and pleasure in broad daylight.