It was the kind of fleeting, awkward moment that Super Bowl and concert broadcasts are made of. At a recent Coldplay show, the all-seeing “kiss cam” panned across the crowd and landed on a couple who seemed desperate to avoid the spotlight. As they awkwardly dodged the camera’s invitation, Coldplay frontman Chris Martin playfully quipped from the stage, “Either they’re having an affair or they’re just very shy.” The crowd laughed, the video went viral, and for a moment, it seemed like just another funny, embarrassing public display.

The two people in the video were soon identified as Andy Byron, the CEO of the software firm Astronomer, and Kristin Cabot, the company’s Chief People Officer. The internet immediately seized upon Martin’s joke, and the narrative of a workplace affair was born. But what started as social media gossip has now erupted into a full-blown corporate and personal scandal, because the truth is infinitely more complex and stunning than a simple affair. New information has surfaced that reframes the entire incident, revealing a hidden life, a second CEO, and a multi-million-dollar secret.

Public records, unearthed in the wake of the viral video, tell a story the kiss cam never could. They show that just five months before that fateful concert, in February of this year, Kristin Cabot became the co-owner of a sprawling $2.2 million home in the coastal town of Rye, New Hampshire. The man she bought it with was not Andy Byron. The co-owner listed on the deed is Andrew Cabot, the founder and CEO of the Massachusetts-based spirits company, Privateer Rum.

The shared last name and the joint purchase of a four-bedroom New Englander-style house strongly suggest that Kristin Cabot is married to Andrew Cabot. Suddenly, the story wasn’t just about an executive and her boss; it was about a woman, apparently married to one CEO, caught in a deeply compromising situation with another.

The rabbit hole goes even deeper. A look at Kristin Cabot’s professional history, via her now-deleted LinkedIn profile, shows a direct link to her husband’s company. Since September 2020, she has served as an “advisory board member” at Privateer Rum. This places her in a position of trust and strategic input for her husband’s business while holding a top executive role at Astronomer, the company run by the man she was with at the concert. The web of personal and professional entanglements is staggering.

As this new information came to light, the fallout has been swift and severe. Astronomer, the New York-based data company where Byron is CEO and Cabot is a key executive, moved quickly to address the mushrooming crisis. The company released a formal statement acknowledging the seriousness of the situation. “Astronomer is committed to the values and culture that have guided us since our founding,” the statement on LinkedIn read. “Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability. The Board of Directors has initiated a formal investigation into this matter and we will have additional details to share very shortly.”

The scandal has also left a trail of personal wreckage. Andy Byron’s wife, Megan Kerrigan Byron, reacted to the viral video by quietly removing “Byron” from her social media profiles before taking her accounts offline completely, a silent but powerful testament to the private turmoil behind the public spectacle. Meanwhile, a photograph has begun circulating on social media platforms that purportedly shows Kristin and Andrew Cabot smiling together with two children, a poignant image of the family life that now hangs in the balance.

Adding a layer of bitter irony to the saga is the brand identity of Privateer Rum, the company helmed by the other CEO in this drama, Andrew Cabot. The company’s marketing heavily emphasizes its heritage and values. Its ad copy proudly states, “One thing is certain. Privateer advocates transparency, honesty and purity.” This public commitment to transparency now stands in stark contrast to the unfolding drama of alleged deception and secrecy involving a key member of its advisory board.

Attempts to reach Kristin Cabot and Andrew Cabot for comment have been unsuccessful, leaving the public to piece together the narrative from property deeds, social media clues, and corporate statements. What is known is that Kristin Cabot’s life is far more intertwined with powerful men than anyone initially realized. Records show she finalized a divorce from a previous husband in 2022, just before embarking on this new chapter that has now imploded so spectacularly.

What began as a viral joke has unraveled into a serious examination of corporate ethics, personal integrity, and the hidden lives of the powerful. The story is no longer about a clumsy moment on a kiss cam. It’s about a $2.2 million house, two different companies, two CEOs, and a web of secrets that has now been thrust into the harsh glare of the public spotlight. The investigation at Astronomer is just beginning, and the world is now watching, waiting to see how this complex and shocking story of love, loyalty, and alleged betrayal will end.