Astronomer confirmed that an apparent statement from CEO Andy Byron addressing the Coldplay “kiss cam” affair rumors is a fake.
Bryon’s company said the message that has been circulating on social media is “not a real statement,” to TMZ on Thursday, July 17.A video of what appeared to be a scandalous moment went viral on Thursday when Byron and Astronomer Chief People Officer, Kristin Cabot, had their arms around each other during a Coldplay concert at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. The band’s frontman focused on the duo, who appeared to be a couple, who were shown on the jumbotron.
Once they realized they were being filmed, Byron and Cabot quickly separated, causing Coldplay frontman Chris Martin to address the rather awkward moment.“Whoa, look at these two. Alright, come on. You’re OK,” Martin, 48, said in a now-viral clip. “Either they’re having an affair or they’re just very shy. I’m not quite sure what to do.”
He added, “Holy s***. I hope we didn’t do something bad.”
Us Weekly has reached out to Astronomer and both executives for comment.
After the concert video went viral, statements that appeared to be from Byron started popping up on social media. The one Astronomer denied featured a fake apology from the CEO, and a lyric from Coldplay’s “Fix You” to end the message.
Neither Byron nor Cabot have publicly addressed the alleged affair.
As the drama continued to escalate online, Byron’s wife, Megan Kerrigan Byron — with whom he shares two kids together — appeared to change her name on Facebook. She initially appeared to remove her married last name before deleting the social media account altogether. (Her Instagram account also appears to have been deleted.)Cabot, meanwhile, split from ex-husband Kenneth Thornby in 2022, according to the New York Post. Details about their split weren’t made public. However, the outlet noted Cabot has “at least” one child because her ex “was made to pay child support.”
Prior to the viral kiss cam video, Cabot gushed over the Astronomer hiring process — praising Byron specifically.
“I prefer to think of my role as people strategy versus traditional human resources, as the real magic happens when you align the people strategy with the business strategy,” Cabot shared in a November 2024 statement when she was hired. “I prefer to think of my role as people strategy versus traditional human resources, as the real magic happens when you align the people strategy with the business strategy.”
