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Months after then-Astronomer CEO Andy Byron was seen with his arms around executive Kristin Cabot at a Coldplay concert, a source says that while “inappropriate,” they were not having an affair<\/p>\n
The source close to Cabot says she and her husband, Andrew, were living apart at the time and are “amicably separated”<\/p>\n
Cabot, for her part, is “making sure her kids are okay, and that’s going to take time,” the source says: “The misinformation has been the most mind-blowing”<\/p>\n
Two months after\u200b then-Astronomer\u200b CEO Andy Byron was seen on camera at a Coldplay concert with Kristin Cabot, who was working as his company\u2019s chief people officer, a source close to Cabot is speaking out for the first time to clarify the nature of their relationship.
\nByron, 51, had his arms wrapped around Cabot, 53, and then ducked out of view after being spotted by the so-called kiss cam.
\nBut that instantly viral moment doesn’t reflect the real story, according to the Cabot source.
\nIn recent weeks, new details have emerged about how Cabot was already divorcing her own husband before attending the concert with Byron.
\nThe former CEO is reportedly married as well, but the Cabot source insists she was not breaking up a marriage.
\n\u201cKristin and Andy [Byron] had an excellent working relationship, a great friendship. There was no affair,\u201d the source tells PEOPLE.
\n\u201cIt was inappropriate to be hugging your boss at a concert, and she accepts full responsibility for it,\u201d the source says. \u201cBut the scandal, the downfall, the loss of the job \u2014 all of that is unfair.\u201d
\nThe source is speaking out now to correct what they call the many assumptions made after Byron and Cabot made international headlines for their reaction to being seen together during the Coldplay concert at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass.
\nOnce they realized they were on screen, Cabot covered her face as Byron tried to hide from view.
\nThe odd reaction prompted Coldplay lead singer Chris Martin to say from the stage, “Oh, look at these two. All right, c’mon, you’re okay.\u201d
\nHe then jokingly added, \u201cOh, what? Either they’re having an affair or they’re just very shy.\u201d<\/p>\n
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The moment thrust two couples \u2014 Byron and his reported spouse, Megan, and Cabot and her husband, Andrew \u2014 into the spotlight, fueling countless memes and headlines.
\nThe tabloids began probing their private lives; paparazzi tracked them down.
\nBoth Byron and Cabot soon left Astronomer, and the company said after Byron’s resignation that “our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability, and recently, that standard was not met.”
\nThe source close to Cabot maintains that coverage of the incident itself spiraled far beyond the truth.
\n\u201cIt is important to note how inappropriately mislabeled Kristin has been \u2014 as a homewrecker,\u201d says the source, who notes Byron and Cabot attended the concert with a group of friends.
\n\u201cIt’s unfathomable to witness what has happened, and how devastating it can be, for not just individuals, but entire families,\u201d says the source. \u201cAll 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.\u201d
\n\u201cThese are real people and real families,\u201d they say. \u201cThe way people have taken a lot of enjoyment at their expense, it’s hard to see.\u201d
\nCabot herself did not comment to PEOPLE for this story; Byron has not spoken publicly and has not responded to multiple requests for comment.
\nAt the time of the concert, Cabot and her husband were already separated. She went on to file for divorce on Aug. 13, requesting that the information about the proceedings remain private, and her spouse agreed.
\n\u201cThey are amicably separated and moving forward towards divorce, focused on their families,\u201d says the Cabot source, echoing what a spokeswoman for Cabot’s husband previously told PEOPLE in a brief statement.
\nShe has two kids from her first marriage. Her husband, the CEO of Privateer Rum, also has two kids from a prior marriage.
\n\u201cKristin and Andrew [Cabot] had been living apart,\u201d the Cabot source says, adding that on the night Cabot was seen with Byron, her husband was also “at the Coldplay concert on a date.\u201d
\n\u201cIt was not a company event,” says the source of Byron and Cabot being together that night. “There was no company box. It was a night with a big group of friends and an inappropriate moment.\u201d
\nAs for how Cabot is doing, the source says, \u201cIt’s been hard for her to leave the house. She’s been prioritizing her family. Her kids have been through a lot.\u201d
\nNever miss a story \u2014 sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer\u200b\u200b, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
\nThe controversy has stirred much\u00a0discussion\u00a0about the nature of privacy in a digital age.
\n\u201cKristin had people standing outside her car while she was picking her son up from work, grown women laughing, taking pictures, pointing,\u201d the source says. \u201cIt’s been a tough thing to watch.\u201d
\nSome of the attention was even more alarming, this source says.
\n\u201cIn the first three days after the news broke, she had about 900 death threats on her phone,” the source says. “And just overall, the mockery made of someone, the way people really seem to enjoy it and feel as though if somebody makes a mistake \u2014 public shaming is absolutely on the table as a punishment.\u201d
\nNo longer having her job, where she\u2019d worked for seven months, was another blow. She resigned in late July, Astronomer said at the time, days after Byron stepped down.
\n\u201cKristin is and always has been one of the hardest working women I’ve ever met,\u201d says the source of Cabot, who had a career in advertising for 22 years and has been in tech since 2016.
\nDespite some coverage focusing on Cabot and Byron’s perceived wealth and status, says the source, “She\u2019s been working since she was 15 years old. She’s a self-made person.\u201d
\nRight now, the source says, Cabot \u201cis making sure her kids are okay, and that’s going to take time.\u201d
\n\u201cKristin has a lot of family and friends around her that know who she really is and love her, and will all see her through this,” the source says, adding, \u201cIt will take time.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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