A “kiss cam" moment became a nightmare for Astronomer CEO Andy Bryon after his alleged affair with his firm’s Chief Human Resources Officer, Kristin Cabot, was exposed in front of thousands of fans.
During Coldplay’s concert at Gillette Stadium in Boston on Wednesday, the band’s frontman Chris Martin began the kiss cam game, which zeroed in on Bryon, with his arms wrapped around Cabot’s chest, and their fingers locked together.
“Look at these two," Martin was heard saying, as the couple realised they were on camera, prompting a mortified Cabot to bury her face in her hands while Bryon ducked out of view. “Oh, what? Either they’re having an affair or they’re just very shy," Martin continued. “I hope we didn’t do something bad."
The clip became a huge internet topic because Byron is married with two children, while Cabot leads the company’s human resources team. Their shocked reactions made people suspicious about their relationship.
Prior to her hiring, Cabot was recognised in Silicon Valley for her skill in maintaining and scaling company culture amid fast-paced growth. She has 20 years of experience in people and culture leadership, and joined the company as Chief People Officer in November 2024. She had previously worked with Neo4j, ObserveIT and ProofPoint. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Gettysburg College.
“Kristin’s exceptional leadership and deep expertise in talent management, employee engagement, and scaling people strategies will be critical as we continue our rapid trajectory," Bryon said at the time of her hiring.
“She is a proven leader at multiple growth-stage companies and her passion for fostering diverse, collaborative workplaces makes her a perfect fit for Astronomer."
Cabot had recently divorced her husband, Kenneth Thornby. They had filed for device in 2018, and the split was finalised in 2022, New York Post reported citing court documents. The former couple had at least one child, with Thornby being made to pay Cabot a lump-sum child support payment.
Before being caught in the scandalous affair, Cabot had boasted that she “wins the trust" of CEOs. “An influential leader and fearless change agent, I lead by example and win trust with employees of all levels, from CEOs to managers to assistants," her LinkedIn bio reads.
She also called herself a “passionate People leader known for building award-winning cultures from the ground up for fast-growing startups and multi-national corporations".
After the alleged affair was exposed, people said Cabot needed a lesson from her own HR handbook. “Cost of a concert: Hotel $200, tickets $600, food/drinks $150, divorce attorney $50,000. Getting exposed by Coldplay having an affair with your co-worker: priceless," wrote Instagram user Trustfundterry.
Meanwhile, users on social media revealed that Bryon’s wife and mother of two, Megan Kerrigan Bryon, had dropped her married name from her Facebook page. “What a class act! Go Megan. Get that divorce lawyer and get the money," an X user said.
