Footage emerged on social media of Andrew Byron and Kristin Cabot getting cosy at one of Coldplay’s gigs in the US on their Music of the Spheres tour – and a scandal followed
The husband of a woman caught on Coldplay’s kiss cam getting cosy with her boss has insisted he and his wife were “privately and amicably separated” before the gig.
Andrew Cabot, 61, and his wife Kristin last week confirmed they have filed for divorce several weeks after Kristin was snapped by the kiss cam with her boss at one of the band’s concerts. The footage emerged on social media and, amid the following scandal, Andy quit from this role as CEO of tech firm Astronomer and Kirstin resigned as his Head of HR.
But speaking following confirmation of the divorce, Andrew, an entrepreneur from Massachusetts, said he and Kirstin “were privately and amicably separated several weeks before the Coldplay concert”. A spokesperson speaking to the media on his behalf today added: “Their decision to divorce was already underway prior to that evening. Now that the divorce filing is public, Andrew hopes this provides respectful closure to speculation and allows his family the privacy they’ve always valued.”
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Kirstin’s moment on the kiss cam caught attention across the globe. Even Coldplay frontman Chris Martin joked the pair were either “having an affair or just very shy.” Soon after the awkward moment, both employees were put on leave. Andy later resigned from the company after “failing to meet company standards”.
Despite the clarity around the divorce, Andrew’s spokesperson also told People today: “No further public comment will be made.” It is the first time Andrew has spoken out publically – albeit with a spokesperson – about the scandal, and the state of his and Kirstin’s relationship.
Andrew, who is a CEO of a distillery in Ipswich, Massachusetts, has no children with Kirstin, but two kids from a previous marriage. His family, Andrew says, has “always valued” privacy, something threatened somewhat amid the scandal.
Both Kirstin and her manager reacted awkwardly when the kiss cam turned on them at the gig. Kirstin quickly turned her back and he ducked out of sight. It spawned countless memes and mockery and put a national spotlight, for a few days, on the former colleagues. Many online purported to dig up and share personal details about both of their families.
The controversy was also the subject of much discussion about the nature of privacy in a digital age and what behaviour should and shouldn’t subject someone to public scrutiny.
In a press release in November announcing Cabot’s initial hiring at Astronomer, Byron was quoted as saying her “exceptional leadership and deep expertise in talent management, employee engagement, and scaling people strategies will be critical as we continue our rapid trajectory. She is a proven leader.”