Married, But Not to Each Other

It blew up on all the media when the CEO of the $1.3 billion AI company Astronomer, Andy

Byron, and his head of HR, Kristin Cabot were caught canoodling when the Kiss Cam at a Cold Play concert caught them embracing—and then ducking—in their seats.

Kristin looks truly alarmed, as if a spaceship of Martians had landed on the stage. Chris Martin, lead singer of Cold Play, quipped "those two are either having an affair, or are just shy." 

The fallout was nearly instantaneous since there is almost nothing that doesn't go viral today if it's embarrassing. And if it implies hanky-panky with possible A-listers, or the 1%, then it's really got legs.  These weren't two people from the mail room. The married CEO resigned, and Kristin, also married, took a leave from the company. Well, they are married, just not to each other.

As for Andy and Krisitn caught at the Cold Play concert, Myron Cohen would have said: "hey, everybody's got to be someplace."

Kristin Cabot is a descendant of the very upper crust Brahmins of Boston, the Cabots. It's almost like when Sybdney Biddle Barrows was busted for running a prostitution ring and it was revealed that she was a direct descendant from the Barrows who came over on the Mayflower. The tabloid press, ever ready to attach a nickname, labeled her "The Mayflower Madame." A film and musical followed. Sex sells.

Not withstanding the public shaming of the Andy and Kristin. there's nothing new here. It's got to be the most famous busted relationship of a CEO since William Agee was finally linked to a high level employee Mary Cunningham at Bendix in the 1980s. They were a power couple way ahead of Bill and Hillary.  They eventually married 20 months after the rumors could no longer be denied.  Bill was recently divorced when he was squiring Mary around town. Mary was also divorced. They married 20 months after the rumors ere confirmed

Their affair wasn't outed on a Kiss Cam, but it resulted in Mary leaving the company, and lots of editorializing  about CEOs and other powerful figures having affairs with subordinates.

The sports reporter Dick Schaap once got in a TON of trouble years ago when he said Joseph and Mary were the most famous stablemates since Secretariat and Riva Ridge, two top class thoroughbreds from Meadow Stable in the 1970s.

Of course Bill and Mary weren't caught on a Kiss Cam and they were already in the market to be dating. But Andy and Kristin were paraded through the electronic town square. Where did they go after the Kiss Cam? Back to a hotel room they may or may not have already had lined up in order to discuss the concert's playlist?

Years ago, decades ago, another century ago it was 1966 and I was a senior in high school. New Year's Day saw the subway workers in NYC go out on strike as the ball went down in Times Square. It would be the first of many strikes during the mayor's, John Lindsay's, administration. It fact, NYC began to be  called Strike City.

By then I was a dedicated viewer of The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson. Carson was big. With the city somewhat at a standstill, I figured I might be able to get into a taping of The Tonight Show since people with tickets might not make the show. I was living with my grandmother on East 19th Street, and the walk to 30 Rock was hardly impossible. I was right. 

I got in with what was called a provisional ticket, and found myself in the TV audience at 30 Rock. I distinctly remember Ed McMahon warming the audience up before they went on the air with a sly warning that the audience would be shown on camera and that "if you're with someone you shouldn't be, you might want to duck down." Everyone laughed. Maybe some nervously.

That night Johnny introduced a new singing duo named Simon and Garfunkel, and joked that they sounded like a name inside a suit label as he flapped his jacket open. Droll. They of course sang 'Sounds of Silence.'

I don't remember who else was on that night, but I was pumped that I got in. The transit strike dragged on and I figured to try it again. Again success, although this time, even then, Johnny took the evening off and Corbet Monica, a comedian of that time was the guest host.

I do remember Betsy Palmer was on, and a Greenwich Village performance artist named Theodore were on. He scared Betsy Palmer. And probably a few others.

Before the show, Ed McMahon made the same sly warning as he walked up an aisle in the audience. Hey, I've heard this before. But others probably hadn't.

Chris Martin of Cold Play is set to play another concert and set to issue the same warning Ed McMahon made nearly 60 years ago: duck.

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