Ex-Astronomer CEO Andy Byron and Kristin Cabot were just friends when they were caught canoodling on the kiss cam at a Coldplay concert, according to a source close to the former HR exec.
“Kristin and Andy had an excellent working relationship, a great friendship. There was no affair,” the source claimed to People on Tuesday.
“It was inappropriate to be hugging your boss at a concert, and she accepts full responsibility for it,” the source continued, “but the scandal, the downfall, the loss of the job — all of that is unfair.”
While at the Coldplay concert in question, which took place in Boston in July, Byron and Cabot were seen in an intimate embrace.
“Whoa, look at these two,” frontman Chris Martin exclaimed into the mic.
However, once the pair noticed they were on the big screen, Byron let out a “f–king hell, it’s me” and immediately ducked out of view, while Cabot, who acknowledged that “this is awkward,” hid her face in embarrassment.
“Either they’re having an affair, or they’re just very shy,” Martin joked as the audience erupted in laughter, with videos of the moment immediately going viral.
Astronomer’s Board of Directors then launched an investigation into the matter, which resulted in both Byron and Cabot — who were both technically married at the time — being placed on leave.
The former resigned the next day, while his direct report followed suit less than a week later.
“It is important to note how inappropriately mislabeled Kristin has been — as a homewrecker,” the source close to her told People, claiming that the duo attended the show “with a big group of friends” and not as part of a company outing.
“It’s unfathomable to witness what has happened and how devastating it can be for not just individuals but entire families,” the source added.
“All I can think of is that this could happen to any of us at any time. I think all of the misinformation has been the most mind-blowing to witness.”
The source emphasized that “these are real people and real families” before slamming those who “have taken a lot of enjoyment at their expense.”
She claimed Kristin received “about 900 death threats on her phone” after the ordeal first made headlines.
Earlier this month, Cabot’s estranged husband, CEO of Privateer Rum Andrew Cabot, revealed they “were privately and amicably separated several weeks before the Coldplay concert.”
She filed for divorce in mid-August.
People’s source went on to echo Andrew’s statement, saying, “They are amicably separated and moving forward towards divorce, focused on their families.”
Not only had the Cabots “been living apart” on the night of the show, claimed the source, but Andrew was also “at the Coldplay concert on a date.”
As for how Kristin is doing, the source lamented, “It’s been hard for her to leave the house. … Her kids have been through a lot.”
She has “been prioritizing her family” and “is making sure her kids are OK,” which the source stressed is “going to take time.”
It’s unclear where Byron and his wife, Megan Kerrigan, stand, but she did instantly remove her married name from her Facebook page before deleting her account altogether.
The Daily Mail also reported that Kerrigan quickly fled their marital home in Massachusetts to hide out in their Maine house and hold crisis talks about next steps.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source pagesix.com ’
