The tech CEO at the centre of the now infamous Coldplay kiss cam scandal was ‘all over’ his HR chief long before they were caught red-handed on the stadium jumbotron, newly released footage shows.
Andy Byron, 50, the recently resigned boss of billion-dollar AI firm Astronomer, was filmed getting cosy with his HR director Kristin Cabot, 52, during Coldplay’s sold-out show at Gillette Stadium in Boston on Tuesday.
The new video, obtained by TMZ, shows the pair sharing an intimate moment as the band performed their hit song Yellow, swaying and embracing in front of thousands of fans as the stadium lit up with phone lights.
TMZ reported: ‘They were all over each other even when they weren’t on the kiss-cam.’
‘This rear-view shows a much more intimate interaction,’ the outlet added, suggesting the couple’s closeness wasn’t a fleeting moment – but something far more familiar.
Filmed from behind their seats, the footage shows Byron leaning in to kiss Cabot as the duo hug tightly.
Both appear relaxed and carefree, entirely unaware that moments later they’d be launched into viral fame – and scandal – when they appeared on the stadium’s giant screen.
When Coldplay frontman Chris Martin clocked the couple onscreen, he cheekily remarked: ‘They’re either having an affair… or they’re very shy.’
The crowd erupted in laughter as Byron dropped his arm, ducked behind a barrier, and looked at the ground.
Cabot quickly turned away, covering her face with both hands and retreating behind another woman.
She also appeared to mouth something to the other woman beside her before darting behind her in what looked like an attempt to shield herself.
The second woman was left red-faced, sparking online speculation that she may have known what was going on beside her and was another employee of Astronomer. However, Astronomer has since denied this.
Their awkward reaction, along with Martin’s savage commentary, sent the moment viral online, with viewers claiming Cabot was the ‘mistress’ of the married tech exec.
The fallout was swift.
Byron, who had been placed on leave following the incident, officially resigned yesterday amid an internal investigation by Astronomer.
In a statement, the company said: ‘As stated previously, 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, and recently, that standard was not met. Andy Byron has tendered his resignation, and the Board of Directors has accepted.’
The firm confirmed that Cofounder and Chief Product Officer Pete DeJoy will step in as interim CEO.
‘While awareness of our company may have changed overnight,’ the company added, ‘our product and our work for our customers have not. We’re continuing to do what we do best: helping our customers with their toughest data and AI problems.’
The scandal has clearly torpedoed the lives of Mr Byron and Ms Cabot, but the real victims are their respective partners, Megan Kerrigan and Andrew Cabot, who appeared to be living the American dream in huge suburban homes.
Ms Kerrigan appears to have deleted joyful family photos with Mr Byron and their sons on Facebook since the incident.
Among the photos she had posted was one of the family smiling on a hiking trip and at a graduation for one of the boys.
In the hiking photo, the parents and their two children all have their arms around each other as they grin to the camera – all wearing caps – in front of a creek.
And in the graduation snap, Mr Byron and his two sons are dressed smartly in suits with Ms Kerrigan wearing a dress for the milestone moment. One of the sons is wearing his graduation gown and a mortarboard.
Meanwhile Ms Cabot is married to the CEO of a booze firm – and bought a massive $2.2million home in the seaside town of Rye, New Hampshire, with him less than five months ago.
It is unclear exactly when the pair tied the knot, but documents confirm that Ms Cabot, whose maiden name is Stanek, was married at the time of selling a $1.8million property in Watertown, Mass, earlier this year.
Property records show that the husband and wife purchased the two-story, four bedroom house in February.
She has also shared a second home in the same town with her husband – the head of Privateer Rum – since at least 2023, according to the records.
The Massachusetts-based company described Mr Cabot as its CEO and COO, adding that his ‘ancestor, the original Andrew Cabot (1750-1791), was a merchant, rum distiller and successful American privateer during the American Revolution.’
Public documents show that he has been married at least twice before, in 1993 and 2014.
He shares two children with his first wife Maud, who shared a picture of her ex-husband with Cabot looking loved up at his daughters 25th birthday party on social media in April of last year.
