Andy Byron, CEO of data infrastructure startup Astronomer, has unexpectedly found himself in the spotlight — and not for a product launch. A video that has gone viral shows Byron embracing Kristin Cabot, the company’s Chief People Officer, at a Coldplay concert earlier this week — a moment broadcast live on the stadium jumbotron and now under intense social media scrutiny.
The clip, captured at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, appears to show Byron hugging Cabot from behind, prompting Coldplay frontman Chris Martin to comment playfully:
“Oh, look at these two… Either they’re having an affair or they’re just very shy.”
The pair quickly separated after appearing on the screen in front of tens of thousands of concertgoers. But the footage continued to gain traction online — particularly because Byron is married and lives with his wife, Megan Kerrigan Byron, in nearby Northborough.
🚨 Personal and Professional Fallout
Neither Byron, Cabot, Astronomer, nor Megan Byron have responded to multiple media inquiries, including those from Newsweek.
Social media users have since flooded Megan Byron’s public Facebook profile with messages of support and sympathy. The account was deactivated later on Thursday, after she reportedly removed her husband’s name from her profile. Byron’s LinkedIn page was also taken down by Thursday afternoon.
By contrast, Cabot’s LinkedIn remains active. Her professional summary describes her as a “fearless change-agent” and a builder of “award-winning cultures”. She joined Astronomer in November 2023, with Byron publicly praising her experience and leadership in a company statement at the time.
🦄 About Astronomer
Founded in Cincinnati and now headquartered in New York City, Astronomer reached unicorn status in 2022 with a valuation of over $1 billion. The company specializes in data orchestration infrastructure, best known for commercializing the Apache Airflow platform.
💬 Public Speculation vs Private Silence
The lack of comment from those involved has only fueled more speculation online, with users debating the nature of Byron and Cabot’s relationship and expressing concern for the CEO’s family, including the couple’s two sons.
As the video continues to circulate and reactions mount, Astronomer faces both PR turbulence and internal scrutiny — not for its software, but for a moment of personal intimacy played out on one of the world’s biggest stages.
