It's terrifying how quickly your life can blow up when something goes viral on the internet. For Astronomer CEO Andy Byron, chief people officer Kristen Cabot and their respective families, that's what happened after a team outing to see Coldplay in Boston went horribly wrong.
During a break in Chris Martin's set, the jumbotron cut to different members of the audience and at one point that included Byron, who was hugging Cabot from the behind. Their reactions to being on screen sent the crowd and later the internet into a tailspin. Byron immediately dropped to the floor as if hoping the ground would swallow him up and Cabot covered her face in mortification and slowly turned around. At this point, Martin said, 'Either they're having an affair or...'
Unsurprisingly, it took social media sleuths under an hour to disseminate the video and to work out who was involved. Based on their panicked responses, users went on the hunt to work out whether Byron and Cabot are married. It turns out Byron is.
Who is Andy Byron?
Andy Byron is the CEO of Astronomer. According to its website, 'Astro is the industry-leading data orchestration and observability platform powered by Apache Airflow®. Astro accelerates building reliable data products that unlock insights, unleash AI value, and power data-driven applications.'
Is Andy Byron married?
Yes, Byron is married and his wife has since deleted her social media accounts and removed Byron from her surname.
Has Andy Byron responded to the Coldplay scandal?
The Coldplay incident went so viral that a 'statement' from Byron himself was later shared online. However, a spokesperson from Astronomer reportedly told TMZ the statement was fake.
The 'fake statement' read: 'I want to acknowledge the moment that's been circulating online, and the disappointment it's caused.
'What was supposed to be a night of music and joy turned into a deeply personal mistake play-out out on a very public stage. I want to sincerely apologise to my wife, my family, and my team at Astronomer. You deserve better from me as a partner, as a father, and as a leader.
'This is not who I want to be or how I want to represent the company I helped build. I'm taking time to reflect, take accountability, and figure out the next steps, personally and professionally. I ask for privacy as I navigate that process.
'I also want to express how troubling it is that what should have been a private moment became public without my consent. I respect artists and entertainers, but I hope we can all think more deeply about the impact of turning someone else's life into a spectacle.
'As a friend once sang: "Lights will guide you home, and ignite your bones, and I will try to fix you."'
Byron and Cabot are yet to comment on the viral scandal.