It’s the ‘cheating scandal’ that has sent the internet into a frenzy.
At a recent Coldplay concert, a seemingly loved-up couple threw themselves on the floor and covered their faces after appearing on ‘kiss cam’.
The erratic behaviour even caused frontman Chris Martin to quip: ‘Either they’re having an affair or they’re just very shy.’
It turns out the pair are Andy Byron, CEO of AI startup Astronomer, and Kristin Cabot, the company’s chief people officer.
Records suggest both are married to other people – triggering an onslaught of memes, jokes and GIFs about the scandal.
Anyone watching the video may wonder why the pair were acting so brazenly in public.
Now, one psychologist claims the couple may have wanted to be seen together so they would be ‘forced to confront the truth’.
So, do you agree with her theory?
Fans erupted after the CEO of a billion-dollar company was caught cozying up to a female colleague on a Coldplay concert kiss cam
The couple were seen covering their faces, with Mr Byron, the head of the AI startup Astronomer, diving out of view and Ms Cabot turning away from the camera
‘It wasn’t just the [apparent] betrayal that grabbed headlines, but rather the boldness of it,’ Nicole McNichols, professor of human sexuality at the University of Washington, wrote on Psychology Today.
‘A public affair, at a Coldplay concert, and on the jumbotron. Which raises the obvious question – why cheat so publicly?’
She said understanding why someone cheats can help people better understand the challenges that all relationships face – even the healthy ones.
One reason that people cheat can be emotional disconnection from their partner, she explained, with a long-term relationship becoming more about logistics than nurturing a connection.
‘The body language of the couple at the concert was affectionate and emotionally intimate’, she said.
‘It didn’t read as a lusty fling but more like a moment between two people trying to feel seen.
‘And when someone feels emotionally invisible in their primary relationship, they may seek validation elsewhere.’
Another possible reason for cheating, she said, is a cry for freedom.
As the frontman panned his ‘kiss cam’ around the crowd at Gillette Stadium in Boston, the pair looked horrified to be seen by thousands on the big screen
The erratic behaviour even caused frontman Chris Martin to quip: ‘Either they’re having an affair or they’re just very shy’
‘Was this couple trying to get caught? Perhaps not in the viral, TikTok-meme way it unfolded,’ she said.
‘But attending a packed concert together – when they surely could have hidden somewhere else – suggests that, on some level, they wanted to be seen.
‘Or maybe they wanted their situation to blow up so they’d be forced to confront the truth of their lives.’
She added that people may ‘unconsciously create chaos’ when they feel emotionally stuck because they don’t know a ‘healthier way out’.
Other reasons for cheating could include the need for novelty and feeling alive, and the thrill of transgression, she explained.
‘In this case, the public nature of the affair almost amplified the thrill,’ she wrote.
‘It suggests a mindset of entitlement and maybe even a belief that they could get away with what most people wouldn’t dare.’
None of these excuses excuse the betrayal, she added, but can help explain it.
People on the internet are still coming up with creative ways to make light of the situation – nearly a week after it happened
This meme attempts to capture the shock on the couple’s face after seeing themselves on the big screen
Since the video has gone viral, Mr Byron has resigned and Ms Cabot placed on leave.
A comment from Astronomer, read out live on ITV’s This Morning, says: ‘Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability, and recently that standard was not met.
‘Andy Byron has tendered his resignation, and the Board of Directors has accepted.’
The Mail previously reported that while public records suggest both Mr Byron and Ms Byron are married, they live at different addresses to those listed as their spouses.
