“3 FAMILIES, 1 BETRAYAL” — Kristin Cabot’s Ex-Husband Speaks Out: ‘I warned her about Andy Byron in 2022’… and Shows a Picture She Begged Him to Delete
In July 2025, a viral moment at a Coldplay concert in Boston’s Gillette Stadium thrust Astronomer CEO Andy Byron and Chief People Officer Kristin Cabot into the spotlight, igniting rumors of an extramarital affair. The “kiss cam” footage, capturing the two in a cozy embrace before they scrambled to hide, sparked widespread speculation about their relationship, especially since Byron is married to Megan Kerrigan and has two children. Now, a new bombshell has emerged: Kristin Cabot’s ex-husband, Kenneth C. Thornby, has broken his silence, claiming he warned Cabot about Byron’s intentions as early as 2022. Thornby has also revealed a photograph—allegedly one Cabot begged him to delete—that he says proves their relationship predates the Coldplay scandal and implicates a third family in the fallout.
Kenneth Thornby’s Warning and the Explosive Photograph
Kenneth C. Thornby, Cabot’s ex-husband, spoke to The New York Post in an exclusive interview, shedding light on the tangled web of relationships that has now ensnared three families. According to Massachusetts court records, Thornby and Cabot separated in 2018 and finalized their divorce in 2022, sharing at least one child. Thornby, who has maintained a low profile, claims that in 2022, during their divorce proceedings, he confronted Cabot about her growing closeness with Andy Byron, then President of Lacework. “I told her he wasn’t who she thought he was,” Thornby said. “I saw the way he looked at her during a company event. It wasn’t professional. She didn’t listen.”
Thornby’s most damning revelation is a photograph he claims to have taken in 2022, which he says Cabot pleaded with him to delete. The image, recently shared with The Post, allegedly shows Byron and Cabot at a private dinner in San Francisco, their hands intertwined across the table. The setting appears intimate, far removed from the professional context of their roles at Lacework, where Cabot was a consultant. Thornby alleges that Cabot, aware of the photo’s implications, contacted him repeatedly after their separation, begging him to destroy it to protect her reputation. “She said it would ruin her career,” Thornby told The Post. “I kept it because I knew the truth would come out eventually.”
The Third Family: Andrew Cabot’s Involvement
Adding complexity to the scandal is Kristin Cabot’s reported second marriage to Andrew Cabot, CEO of Privateer Rum. According to The New York Post, Kristin and Andrew purchased a $2.2 million home in Rye, New Hampshire, in February 2025, with documents listing them as husband and wife. Kristin also served on the advisory board of Privateer Rum since 2020, suggesting a long-standing connection. The emergence of Thornby’s photograph and his 2022 warning raises questions about whether Kristin’s relationship with Byron overlapped with her marriage to Andrew, potentially implicating a third family in the betrayal.
Andrew Cabot, a Harvard graduate and descendant of a Revolutionary War privateer, has not commented publicly on the scandal. However, The Economic Times reports that the couple sold a four-story home in April 2024 for $1.05 million, indicating a shared financial history. If Kristin was indeed married to Andrew during the 2022 dinner with Byron, as Thornby’s photograph suggests, the timeline points to a possible infidelity that could devastate Andrew’s family, which may include children from his previous relationships, though details remain unconfirmed.
The Coldplay Concert Fallout
The Coldplay concert incident on July 16, 2025, brought the simmering rumors to a boil. As the “kiss cam” panned to Byron and Cabot, with Byron’s arms around her waist, Coldplay frontman Chris Martin quipped, “Either they’re having an affair or they’re very shy,” prompting laughter from the 60,000-strong crowd. The viral clip, which garnered millions of views on TikTok and X, showed the pair panicking—Byron ducking behind a barrier and Cabot covering her face. The public reaction was swift: Megan Kerrigan removed “Byron” from her social media and later deactivated her accounts, fueling speculation of an impending divorce. Astronomer placed both Byron and Cabot on administrative leave, with co-founder Pete DeJoy stepping in as acting CEO, per Axios.
Social media erupted with memes and commentary, with users mocking Cabot’s LinkedIn claim of “winning trust with CEOs” and expressing sympathy for Megan Kerrigan. “No woman deserves to wake up to that kind of news,” one X user wrote. Another quipped, “Why go to a packed stadium if you’re hiding a secret?” The scandal has also raised questions about workplace ethics at Astronomer, a $1.3 billion data infrastructure startup, where Cabot was hired in November 2024 to foster a “collaborative workplace culture.”
The Munich Connection: A Pattern of Deception?
The 2019 Munich trip, detailed in a previously leaked itinerary, adds further context to Thornby’s claims. A hotel staff note from the Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten Kempinski, where Byron stayed, referenced a “guest” arriving at 22:00, speculated to be Cabot. While the note’s authenticity remains unverified, it aligns with Thornby’s assertion that Byron and Cabot’s relationship began years earlier. If true, this suggests a pattern of behavior that may have continued through Cabot’s marriage to Andrew and Byron’s marriage to Megan, impacting all three families.
The Impact on Three Families
The scandal’s ripple effects are profound. Megan Kerrigan, an educator at Bancroft School in Massachusetts, faces public humiliation as her private family life—shared with Byron and their two children—is dissected online. Kenneth Thornby, who has remained out of the spotlight, says the renewed attention has disrupted his efforts to co-parent peacefully with Cabot. “I just want to protect my kid,” he told The Post. Andrew Cabot, meanwhile, is caught in the crossfire, with his marriage to Kristin now under scrutiny. The lack of public comment from Andrew suggests he is grappling with the personal fallout, while Kristin’s silence and deleted LinkedIn profile indicate an attempt to retreat from the public eye.
Astronomer’s Response and Leadership Crisis
Astronomer’s board issued a statement emphasizing its commitment to “values and culture,” noting that leaders are expected to uphold high standards of conduct. Reports from Axios suggest Byron is negotiating an exit, potentially resigning as CEO. The company’s reputation, built on its “unicorn” status since 2022, is at risk as former employees describe Byron’s leadership as “toxic,” per The New York Post. Cabot’s role as Chief People Officer, meant to champion workplace ethics, has been called into question, with her LinkedIn flooded with comments highlighting the irony of her “trust-building” mantra.
Public Sentiment and Broader Implications
The scandal, dubbed “Coldplaygate” online, has sparked broader discussions about privacy, workplace relationships, and leadership accountability. The New York Times noted that such public exposures highlight the lack of privacy in high-profile settings, with experts like Charles Lindsey from the University at Buffalo stating, “There is no expectation of privacy” at events like concerts. The viral nature of the incident, amplified by Chris Martin’s quip, has turned Byron and Cabot into cautionary tales about the perils of indiscretion in the digital age.
Conclusion
Kenneth Thornby’s revelations, backed by the 2022 photograph, paint a picture of a betrayal that spans years and affects three families. The Munich trip, the Coldplay incident, and now Thornby’s claims suggest a web of deception involving Andy Byron and Kristin Cabot, with Megan Kerrigan, Kenneth Thornby, and Andrew Cabot bearing the emotional and social consequences. As Astronomer navigates the fallout and the public dissects the scandal, the story underscores the fragility of trust in both personal and professional spheres. Whether the truth behind Thornby’s warnings and the photograph will lead to lasting repercussions for Byron and Cabot remains uncertain, but the damage to their reputations—and the families involved—is already profound.