A light-hearted moment at a recent Coldplay concert in Foxborough, Massachusetts took a dramatic turn when a couple caught on the venue’s Kiss Cam sparked an unexpected corporate scandal. During the band’s ‘Music of the Spheres’ world tour stop at Gillette Stadium, the giant Jumbotron scanned the crowd for couples to feature in a fan-favourite tradition – encouraging concertgoers to share a kiss live on screen.
However, when one particular couple appeared on the screen, their reaction immediately raised eyebrows. Rather than lean in for a kiss, the woman turned away and buried her face in her hands, while the man visibly ducked down, attempting to conceal himself.
Coldplay’s Chris Martin accidentally exposes astronomer CEO Andy Byron having an affair with his HR chief Kristin Cabot. pic.twitter.com/GMa2g0EiK3
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) July 17, 2025
The awkwardness was so striking that it caught the attention of frontman Chris Martin mid-set. “Oh what?” Martin said from the stage. “Either they’re having an affair or they’re very shy.” After a pause, he added: “Holy shit. I hope we didn’t do something bad.”
The mystery couple were quickly identified online as Andy Byron, CEO of the software development startup Astronomer, and Kristin Cabot, the company’s Head of Human Resources. Social media users and tech industry observers were quick to draw attention to the uncomfortable interaction and speculate on its implications. Byron, who is married, soon found himself at the centre of a rapidly escalating controversy.
Within days, the viral incident had professional consequences. On July 20, Astronomer announced Byron’s resignation in a statement shared to LinkedIn: “Astronomer is committed to the values and culture that have guided us since our founding. 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 company, which specializes in data orchestration and workflow automation, was founded in 2018 and has grown rapidly within the software and cloud technology space. Byron had served as CEO since 2022 and was previously the company’s President and CRO.
Yesterday, on July 25, it was confirmed that Kristin Cabot had also stepped down from her leadership role at the company. While Astronomer did not release an individual statement about her departure, internal sources confirmed to multiple outlets that her resignation was accepted shortly after Byron’s.
In the days following the viral moment, clips of the concert exchange – including Chris Martin’s reaction – have been viewed millions of times across TikTok, Twitter, and Instagram. Memes and commentary have flooded social media, ranging from humorous takes to pointed critiques of workplace power dynamics.
Meanwhile, Coldplay’s ‘Music of the Spheres’ world tour rolls on undeterred, with the band continuing their Jumbotron tradition despite the recent viral scandal. For more on the tour’s North American leg, check out MXDWN’s full coverage here.
