It was an ordinary summer night at the Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, where thousands gathered to enjoy a sold-out Coldplay concert on July 16, 2025. The atmosphere was electric, the crowd swaying in unison to the familiar tunes of Chris Martin and his band. Yet amidst the music and joy, one unexpected moment captured the internet’s attention and soon spiraled into a viral sensation that has left a tech company and its executives at the center of a scandal.
The scene unfolded when the concert’s “kiss cam” panned across the audience, landing on two familiar figures: Andy Byron, the married CEO of Astronomer, a New York City-based data orchestration platform, and Kristin Cabot, the company’s Chief People Officer. The pair were caught in an embrace, their arms wrapped around each other, seemingly lost in the moment. But as the camera’s spotlight flickered on them, their expressions shifted dramatically from affection to shock and embarrassment.
Byron quickly released Cabot, crouching down in an attempt to hide, while Cabot covered her face with her hands. The crowd’s laughter echoed as Chris Martin quipped from the stage, “Oh look at these two… Either they’re having an affair or they’re just really shy.” Moments later, Martin added, “Holy shit, I hope we didn’t do something bad,” seemingly sensing the potential fallout.
The video, originally captured by concertgoer Grace Springer from New Jersey and shared on TikTok, exploded online. Within hours, it amassed millions of views—46 million by July 18—and sparked a frenzy of speculation and outrage. Social media users quickly pieced together the identities of the two executives, unearthing details about their personal and professional lives.
Andy Byron has been the CEO of Astronomer since 2023, leading the company which specializes in AI, analytics, and data orchestration, with a valuation reportedly around $1.3 billion. Kristin Cabot joined the firm in November 2024, bringing with her a reputation in Silicon Valley for scaling company culture during rapid growth phases. Prior to Astronomer, she worked at Neo4j and is known for fostering diverse, collaborative workplaces. In a press release announcing her hiring, Byron praised her as a “proven leader” with “exceptional leadership and deep expertise in talent management, employee engagement and scaling people strategies.” Cabot herself expressed enthusiasm about joining Astronomer, saying she was “energised in my conversations with Andy and the Astronomer leadership team about the opportunities that exist here.”
However, the public’s focus quickly shifted from their professional accolades to the personal implications of the kiss cam moment. Both Byron and Cabot are married to other people—Byron’s wife has since deleted her social media and removed “Byron” from her surname, while Cabot, previously known as Kristin Thornby, has been divorced since 2022, according to Massachusetts records cited by the New York Post. She and her ex-husband reportedly share at least one child.
The viral clip led to a tidal wave of reactions online, ranging from schadenfreude to sympathy for the spouses affected. Comments flooded social media platforms, with users mocking the executives’ attempt to escape the kiss cam spotlight and condemning the apparent infidelity. One user wrote, “Sorry for the wife but glad they’re being exposed and embarrassed,” while another quipped, “Two rules, never try to hide from the Jumbotron and never run from cops or dogs.”
Adding complexity to the saga, a statement purportedly from Andy Byron emerged online on July 17, 2025. It expressed remorse for the “deeply personal mistake” and apologized to his wife, family, and team at Astronomer. The message promised reflection, accountability, and a request for privacy as Byron navigated the aftermath. It concluded with lyrics from Coldplay’s “Fix You”: “Lights will guide you home, and ignite your bones, and I will try to fix you.”
However, Astronomer swiftly disavowed the statement, confirming to TMZ and Cosmopolitan UK that it was fake. The message originated from a parody account with only 50 followers named “Peter Enis,” a pun that underscored its dubious nature. A company representative told TMZ, “It is not a real statement.” This revelation underscored the chaotic swirl of misinformation and speculation around the incident.
Meanwhile, the company has reportedly deleted a LinkedIn post by Byron praising Cabot’s hiring, and Byron has disabled comments on his LinkedIn profile. Cabot’s LinkedIn remains public, though her recent activity appears to have been scrubbed. Neither executive has publicly addressed the viral moment or the ensuing controversy.
Behind the scenes, insiders from the concert production have weighed in on the incident. Cameramen randomly scan the crowd during the “kiss cam” segment, with a video editor selecting which feed to display on the big screen. The exposure was entirely unplanned, a random snapshot of the audience. One crew member described the executives’ reaction as “very cringey,” speculating that they may have underestimated the odds of being caught on camera in such an intimate moment.
Grace Springer, the fan who filmed the clip, told The U.S. Sun she did not intend to cause a scandal but stands by sharing the footage. “A part of me feels bad for turning these people’s lives upside down, but, play stupid games… win stupid prizes,” she said. She also expressed hope that the spouses involved could “heal from this and get a second chance at the happiness they deserve.”
The incident has prompted broader reflection on privacy, public scrutiny, and the consequences of personal actions in the digital age. As the video continues to circulate, it serves as a cautionary tale about the power of viral moments to upend lives and careers overnight.
For now, the story remains unresolved. Astronomer has not issued an official statement beyond denying the fake apology, and both Byron and Cabot have remained silent. The Coldplay concert kiss cam moment, once a lighthearted entertainment feature, has morphed into a high-profile scandal that intertwines personal betrayal, corporate leadership, and the relentless gaze of social media.
