Astronomer CEO Andy Byron and HR chief Kristin Cabot caught in awkward viral moment at Boston concert

Andy Byron thought he was enjoying a night off. Instead, he’s at the centre of a viral controversy.

The Astronomer CEO was caught on Coldplay’s “kiss cam” at a packed concert in Boston — in what appeared to be an intimate moment with his company’s Chief People Officer, Kristin Cabot. What happened next, however, triggered not just online embarrassment, but allegations of infidelity, scrutiny of workplace relationships, and a corporate PR storm.

It all unfolded when the band’s frontman, Chris Martin, addressed the crowd mid-song, drawing attention to the couple on the big screen. As the camera panned over Byron and Cabot, the two stood wrapped in an embrace. Martin joked: “Oh, look at these two,” prompting laughter from the crowd.

But the moment quickly turned from cute to chaotic. Caught off guard, Byron let go of Cabot, while she covered her face in her hands. In an almost cartoonish attempt to escape, Byron crouched and the pair bolted from their spot, only fuelling speculation that something was amiss.

Martin, unaware of the online storm to come, quipped: “Oh, what… either they’re having an affair or they’re just very shy.” The crowd laughed. Online, it blew up.

The footage, posted by TikTok user @instaagrace and reshared widely, racked up millions of views within hours. Observers noted the couple’s panicked reaction and apparent discomfort as signs of a secret relationship exposed. “If they’d just smiled and moved on, this wouldn’t have gone viral,” one commenter wrote.

Others were less forgiving. “Their spouses will be more upset about the Coldplay fandom than the affair,” one user joked, while another added: “Never hide from the jumbotron. Never run from the cops or dogs.”

Astronomer, a New York-based data orchestration company, has yet to release a statement on the incident. Founded to streamline analytics and artificial intelligence workflows, the company is considered a fast-growing player in the enterprise software space. Byron, who became CEO in 2023, has a reputation as a sharp strategist in the tech world. Cabot, who joined the firm nine months ago, was recently promoted to oversee people operations.

The online response has been intense — partly due to the inherent awkwardness of the moment, but also because the video struck a chord in a year where corporate scandals and inappropriate workplace dynamics have dominated headlines.

Cabot’s own online footprint shifted shortly after the incident. According to reports, she removed a second surname — Thornby — from her LinkedIn and other social platforms. Some interpreted that as a sign of attempting to erase personal identifiers linked to the video.

Neither Byron nor Cabot has publicly responded to the allegations or the viral footage. Internally, it’s unclear how Astronomer is handling the fallout, though sources suggest HR discussions have already taken place.

The debacle is a reminder of the pitfalls of mixing professional and personal lives — especially in the smartphone age, where any public display can be captured, edited, and shared globally within minutes.

As the video continues to circulate and speculation swirls, one thing is clear: what should have been a night of music and celebration has turned into a reputational headache that may last far longer than the Coldplay encore.