📣 For more lifestyle news, click here to join our WhatsApp Channel and also follow us on Instagram
© IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd
Tags:
Journalism of Courage
What was supposed to be a sweet moment at a Coldplay concert turned into a scandal that’s now making headlines across the internet. During the show in Boston, USA, the band’s frontman, Chris Martin, pointed out a couple in the audience, saying, “Oh, look at these two.”
As the Kiss Cam zoomed in on them, the man wrapped his arms around the woman, and their faces lit up the big screen. But it wasn’t just any couple. Online sleuths quickly identified the man as Andy Byron, CEO of the company Astronomer, and the woman beside him as Kristin Cabot, the company’s HR Chief. When the camera captured them, Byron pulled away and ducked behind a barrier while Cabot covered her face. Martin quipped, “Either they’re having an affair or they’re very shy.” That moment sparked a firestorm.
What followed was an avalanche of reactions on social media, but what made it more explosive was that Byron is a married man. His wife, Megan Kerrigan, lives with him in New York and shares two sons with him. People quickly located Megan’s Facebook page and flooded it with supportive messages. Though she has since deleted most of her posts, many of which featured family photos, screenshots, and reactions have been circulating.
A user on X wrote, “How awful for the wife…EVERYONE knew and was lying to her face, acting normal. I feel so bad for her. Wake up and find out now the whole WORLD knows your hubs is a lying pr*ck.” Another wrote, “How can a CEO of a major tech company be foolish enough to cheat on their spouse with cameras everywhere? This is incredibly foolish!” A third user added, “They are both married, apparently.”
Some noticed that Megan had dropped the surname ‘Byron’ from her Facebook handle. As of now, no official statements have been issued by any party involved, but the emotional toll of public betrayal and the viral nature of the exposure raise questions about trauma and digital humiliation.
Gurleen Baruah, existential analyst, tells indianexpress.com, “At first, the public tends to turn it into entertainment – memes, commentary, jokes. We’ve seen that with this video, too. But for the person at the center of it, especially the partner who wasn’t present, it can be devastating. There’s the personal hurt of betrayal, but now layered with public humiliation and voyeurism. It can trigger deep shame, self-doubt, even identity confusion: Was everything a lie? Did I miss the signs? Am I unlovable? As a psychotherapist, I’ve seen how public betrayals cut deeper. The emotional injury isn’t just private; it’s witnessed, replayed, and speculated on by strangers. And that can complicate healing.”
“It’s rarely truly sudden,” notes Baruah, adding that often, there are undercurrents in the relationship long before the “moment” of betrayal goes public. What may feel abrupt is just the visibility of it. Only the two people in the relationship truly know what has been happening behind closed doors. That said, the emotional processing begins with sitting in the discomfort — grief, rage, disbelief. Not rushing to “understand” or fix. Just feeling what’s coming up. Therapy helps. Talking to friends or family helps.
Speaking on Megan’s alleged decision to drop her husband’s surname, Baruah states, “On the surface, these may look like impulsive or reactive gestures. But they often carry deep emotional meaning. Removing a surname or deleting posts can be a symbolic way of reclaiming identity — of saying, ‘I’m not who I thought I was in this relationship, and I need space to find myself again.’ It’s also an act of emotional self-protection.”
