BOSTON, July 18 — What started as a romantic concert moment ended up sparking a PR nightmare.
Astronomer CEO Andy Byron and the company’s Chief Human Resources Officer, Kristin Cabot, found themselves in the eye of a viral storm after their flirty appearance on the kiss cam at a Coldplay concert at Gillette Stadium in Boston, Massachusetts lit up social media.
The now-viral video showed the pair in a snug embrace, whispering to each other before Byron suddenly backed away — clearly clocking they were on the stadium’s big screen. Cabot, seemingly mortified, quickly ducked her head and covered her face.
Coldplay frontman Chris Martin couldn’t resist a cheeky jab from the stage: “They’re either having an affair… or they’re just really shy.”
One-liner aside, the moment quickly snowballed online once viewers realised the duo weren’t just any couple — they were high-ranking execs from a major tech company.
The TikTok clip has since racked up more than three million views and sparked fiery debates across LinkedIn and other professional platforms, where things got a lot less romantic, fast.
@instaagraace trouble in paradise??#coldplay #boston #coldplayconcert #kisscam #fyp original sound – grace
Adding fuel to the fire: several outlets reported that Byron’s wife, Megan Kerrigan Byron, has since deleted her Facebook account and quietly dropped the ‘Byron’ surname from her social media.
Neither Byron, Cabot, nor Astronomer have made any public comments, but the court of public opinion is in full session.
Former employees have chimed in with allegations of Byron being a “toxic” and “problematic” leader, with some calling the whole saga “corporate karma.”
The timing couldn’t be worse. Astronomer had recently secured more than US$93 million (RM395 million) in funding, and now investors are demanding answers about company culture and leadership integrity.
As for Cabot, who Byron once hailed in corporate forums as a “principled and capable HR leader,” her sudden rise to viral fame has left many questioning where the line lies between personal chemistry and professional conduct.
In the end, what was meant to be a carefree night out has turned into a real-life workplace drama — complete with whispers, walk-backs, and a whole lot of HR irony.
Just another reminder that in the age of viral everything, even a kiss cam can come back to bite.
