A woman at the centre of the recent Coldplay concert controversy was “not hiding,” despite viral reports suggesting otherwise, a source has told The Times UK. Kristin Cabot, head of human resources at tech firm Astronomer, was captured on camera hugging CEO Andy Byron at Boston’s Gillette Stadium in July, moments that were later displayed on the big screen during the concert. Chris Martin, Coldplay’s frontman, quipped to the crowd: “Either they’re having an affair or they’re just very shy.”
Contrary to earlier reports claiming Cabot’s husband, Andrew Cabot, was in Japan at the time, the source told The Times UK that he was in fact at the same concert—accompanied by a date who is now his girlfriend. “They had been separated and living apart for several weeks. It was amicable,” the source said. “Kristin was in the box with work colleagues, though it wasn’t a company box.”
The source emphasized that Cabot’s actions were not indicative of infidelity. “It was not that she was caught cheating. The hug was inappropriate given her role as head of HR, but it was the only inappropriate thing she did,” the source added, describing the relationship between Cabot and Byron as a “great friendship.”
Both executives resigned shortly after the incident. Astronomer announced Byron’s resignation on July 19, with Cabot following days later. Cabot, 52, filed for divorce from her husband on August 13 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Andrew Cabot, 61, is the CEO of Privateer Rum and part of one of Boston’s wealthiest families, with an estimated net worth of $15.4 billion.
Byron was also separated from his wife at the time, though no divorce has been filed. His wife, Megan Kerrigan Byron, removed her married surname from social media and deactivated her account shortly after the concert.
The viral TikTok video capturing the couple’s reaction has amassed tens of millions of views, sparking a wave of public fascination and even merchandise sales. One Etsy seller offered a T-shirt referencing the incident for $23.
According to the source, Cabot has largely withdrawn from public life since the controversy. She reportedly received hundreds of death threats and has tried to protect her children from the media attention. “She could not believe that this could be such a global story,” the source said. “The level of cruelty and vitriol lobbed at her was unfathomable.”
