Former Astronomer CEO Andy Byron recently stepped out with his wife, Megan Kerrigan Byron, three months after a moment at a Coldplay concert went viral. The couple was seen wearing their wedding rings during several outings in Maine. This public appearance marks their first since the summer’s "kiss cam" controversy that shook the tech world.
Photos published by The Daily Mail on Wednesday, October 1, showed Andy, 51, and Megan together. Neither has directly spoken about the incident that quickly put their lives, and the company Astronomer, under a global spotlight.
The unexpected drama began on July 16 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Andy, then Astronomer’s CEO and a married man, was at a Coldplay concert. He suddenly appeared on the Jumbotron, holding Chief People Officer Kristin Cabot, as part of the live "kiss cam" segment. Coldplay’s lead singer, Chris Martin, even pointed out the pair from the stage when they tried to hide from the cameras.
"Wow, look at those two. Alright, come on. They’re good," Martin joked from the stage. "Either they’re having an affair or they’re just very shy. I’m not quite sure what to make of it."
A fan captured the moment, and the footage quickly went viral on TikTok. Within two days, Astronomer confirmed it was launching a "formal investigation" into the matter.
"Astronomer is committed to the values and culture that have guided us since our founding," a company statement read on July 18. "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 share more details soon."
Less than 24 hours later, the company announced Andy’s resignation as CEO. Co-founder Pete DeJoy stepped in as the temporary CEO. Andy had joined Astronomer as CEO in 2023, after serving as president of tech firm Lacework from 2019 to 2022.
"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, and recently, that standard was not met," an Astronomer spokesperson told Us Weekly on July 19. "Andy Byron submitted his resignation, and the board of directors has accepted it. The board will begin the search for our next CEO as co-founder and Chief Product Officer Pete DeJoy continues as interim CEO."
The scandal quickly affected Andy’s wife, Megan. She works as the associate director of the Lower School and admissions for the Hope Graham Program. Her social media was flooded with messages. While some offered support, Megan removed "Byron" from her Facebook name and then deleted her entire account.
Kristin Cabot, 53, also left her role as Chief People Officer at Astronomer in July. She filed for divorce from her husband, Andrew Cabot, on August 13. However, Andrew’s spokesperson told People that the couple "privately and amicably separated several weeks before the Coldplay concert."
"[Their] decision to divorce was already in motion before that evening," Andrew’s representative explained. "Now that the divorce filing is public, Andrew hopes this brings respectful closure to the speculation and allows his family the privacy they have always valued."
Chris Martin of Coldplay performs during the ‘Music Of The Spheres World Tour’ at Wembley Stadium. Jim Dyson/Getty Images
More than two months after the initial uproar, a surprising twist emerged. Reports suggested that Andy and Kristin were not actually having an affair. A source close to the former colleagues insisted their relationship was purely professional and a strong friendship. It was never romantic.
The source also stressed that it was unfair and wrong to label Kristin a "home-wrecker" on social media. They highlighted the immense impact this global attention had on both the Byron and Cabot families.
Us reached out to Astronomer for further comment.
Despite the Jumbotron’s unintended fame, Coldplay continued using it on their Music of the Spheres World Tour throughout the summer. Chris Martin, 48, even joked about the "risky" decision at the band’s concert in Hull, England, on August 18, PageSix reported.
"We’ve been using [the Jumbotron] for a long time, and it only recently became a… yeah," Martin teased. "Life gives you lemons and you have to make lemonade. So we’re going to keep doing it because we’re going to get to know some of you."