It began as a moment of lighthearted fun, a familiar ritual at any major concert. The roving “kiss cam” at a Coldplay show in Gillette Stadium settled on a couple, inviting them to share a public peck. But their reaction was anything but ordinary. The pair, a man and a woman, awkwardly dodged the camera, prompting a playful quip from frontman Chris Martin himself: “Either they’re having an affair or they’re just very shy.” The crowd laughed, the camera moved on, and the moment might have been forgotten. But in the digital age, nothing truly disappears. The clip went viral, and in doing so, it unraveled a complex and shocking story that would ensnare two companies, two families, and two CEOs in a very public scandal.

The man and woman in the video were soon identified as Andy Byron, the CEO of the New York-based software firm Astronomer, and Kristin Cabot, the company’s own Chief People Officer. The immediate assumption, fueled by Martin’s joke, was that of a clandestine workplace romance. But as internet sleuths began to dig, the reality that emerged was far more intricate and devastating than a simple office affair. The story wasn’t just about two executives; it was about a tangled web of relationships, betrayal, and high-stakes hypocrisy that stretched from the tech industry to the world of artisanal spirits.

The most stunning revelation centered on Kristin Cabot. Public records unearthed a truth that turned the narrative on its head: the 52-year-old HR executive appeared to be married. Not to Byron, but to another prominent chief executive, Andrew Cabot, the CEO of the Massachusetts-based Privateer Rum. This wasn’t a distant or estranged marriage. Property records obtained by The Post confirmed that Kristin and Andrew Cabot had jointly purchased a stunning, two-story New Englander-style home in Rye, New Hampshire, for a staggering $2.2 million. The purchase date? February of this year, a mere five months before her public nuzzle with her boss at the Coldplay concert.

The discovery painted a picture not just of infidelity, but of a deeply interwoven and recently solidified life partnership. The couple had shared a previous address in the same town since at least 2023, but the multi-million dollar home purchase was a significant, concrete step. It suggested a shared future, a commitment now thrown into question by a few seconds of footage on a stadium jumbotron.

The connections didn’t stop at a shared home and a last name. In a twist that added a layer of professional conflict to the personal drama, Kristin Cabot’s now-deleted LinkedIn profile revealed she was not just the wife of the Privateer Rum CEO, but also an active participant in his business. She had been listed as an “advisory board member” for the spirits company since September 2020. This role placed her in a position of trust and strategic counsel within her husband’s enterprise, a position that sits uneasily with the public unfolding of her relationship with the CEO of her own employer.

The scandal took on a shade of bitter irony when viewed through the lens of Privateer Rum’s own branding. Andrew Cabot, who is described in his company bio as a descendant of a revolutionary-era rum distiller, founded his brand on a specific set of principles. The company’s ad copy and website advocate for “transparency, honesty and purity.” One advertisement confidently advises, “One thing is certain. Privateer advocates transparency, honesty and purity.” This carefully crafted image of integrity and straightforwardness now stands in stark, uncomfortable contrast to the very public and messy reality of the lives connected to its leadership.

As the story spiraled, the fallout for the other players became painfully clear. Andy Byron, the Astronomer CEO, was also believed to be married. His wife, Megan Kerrigan Byron, reacted swiftly and decisively as the video and subsequent revelations flooded the internet. She first removed her husband’s last name from her social media accounts, a small but powerful digital act of separation. Shortly after, as her profiles were inundated with comments from a shocked and curious public, she took them offline entirely, retreating from the glare of the scandal her husband had ignited.

Meanwhile, the corporate world was forced to respond. Astronomer, the software firm at the center of the storm, could not ignore the actions of its two top executives. The company released a formal statement on LinkedIn, acknowledging the seriousness of the situation. “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,” the statement read. “The Board of Directors has initiated a formal investigation into this matter and we will have additional details to share very shortly.”

This investigation puts the careers of both Byron and Cabot in serious jeopardy. As CEO and Chief People Officer, they are the ultimate custodians of their company’s culture. An affair between them would already raise serious questions about ethics, power dynamics, and professional judgment. But the added layers of their marital statuses and the public nature of the discovery have created a perfect storm of a PR crisis. The very person responsible for upholding the standards of personnel conduct at the company is now at the heart of an inquiry into her own.

The saga serves as a potent, modern-day cautionary tale about the porous boundary between our private and public lives. In an era of smartphones and social media, any moment can be captured, broadcast, and scrutinized by millions. For corporate leaders, who are held to a higher standard, the consequences can be swift and severe. The incident highlights how personal decisions can have profound professional repercussions, impacting not only individual careers but also the reputation and stability of the companies they are entrusted to lead.

The digital trail, from a deleted LinkedIn profile to a changed social media name, tells a story of immediate and chaotic damage control. Photos purportedly showing Kristin and Andrew Cabot with their children began circulating online, adding a heartbreaking human element to the corporate and marital drama. While Andrew Cabot and his company, Privateer Rum, have remained silent, the questions for them will continue to mount. How does a brand built on “honesty” navigate a scandal rooted in apparent deception?

For now, the story remains one of cliffhangers and unanswered questions. An official investigation is underway. The futures of two CEOs and a Chief People Officer hang in the balance. Two families have been fractured in the most public way imaginable. And it all started with a simple, playful prompt from a concert camera, a moment that proved to be the single thread that, when pulled, unraveled everything.