Married tech CEO placed on leave after getting caught on Coldplay kiss cam with HR head
Social media has been abuzz since Wednesday night with images and speculation about two co-workers who were caught on Coldplay’s “kiss cam” during a concert by the group. Another woman at the concert recorded the event and uploaded it to her TikTok account, where it has since racked up more than 58 million views.
From X, the platform once known as Twitter, to media outlets and even a city sanitation department, companies have been weighing in on their own. Some of their jabs made more sense than others. Here’s what we know about the Coldplay couple controversy.
What happened at the Coldplay concert?
It started simply enough. At a Coldplay concert in Boston on Wednesday night, vocalist Chris Martin told the audience that he wanted to say hello to some of the fans.
“The way we’re going to do that is, using our cameras, you can look at the screens and we can see who’s out there and say hello,” he said. “Let’s go looking please.”
The cameras quickly found a couple wrapped in an embrace while enjoying the show — but rather than say hello, she turned away to hide her face while he ducked out of view, both of them appearing shocked.
“Either they’re having an affair or they’re just very shy,” Martin says, before the camera focuses on someone else.
In a later video , he says, “I hope we didn’t do something bad.”
I don’t know what is worse.
— Eric Matheny ????️ (@ericmmatheny) July 17, 2025
Getting caught cheating or getting caught at a Coldplay concert.pic.twitter.com/hcAsUlS0fi
Who are the Coldplay couple?
The footage was soon uploaded to social media , and not long after, amateur sleuths identified the couple as Andy Byron, CEO of software company Astronomer, and Kristin Cabot, the company’s head of HR. She’s divorced. He’s married, but not to her.
Who filmed the video?
The video was recorded by Coldplay fan Grace Springer and uploaded it to her TikTok account . She said she didn’t expect to spark a scandal, but she stands by posting the video.
“I had no idea who the couple was. Just thought I caught an interesting reaction to the kiss cam and decided to post it. A part of me feels bad for turning these people’s lives upside down, but, play stupid games … win stupid prizes,” she told the U.S. Sun.
“I hope their partners can heal from this and get a second chance at the happiness they deserve with their future still in front of them.”
Has Astronomer responded?
On Friday, the company released a statement noting that its board had started a formal investigation into the matter.
“
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,” the company said.
“The Board of Directors has initiated a formal investigation into this matter and we will have additional details to share very shortly,” it added.
“Alyssa Stoddard was not at the event and no other employees were in the video. Andy Byron has not put out any statement, reports saying otherwise are all incorrect.”
Late Friday Astronomer made another statement: “Cofounder and Chief Product Officer Pete DeJoy is currently serving as interim CEO given Andy Byron has been placed on leave. We will share more details as appropriate in the coming days.”
Why did the first statement mention Alyssa Stoddard?
Internet sleuths had claimed that the embarrassed woman who was standing beside Byron and Cabot as they hid from the cameras was Alyssa Stoddard, an Astronomer employee who works for Cabot. The company has made it clear that the woman is not Stoddard.
“Alyssa was not there. This is a rumour started on Twitter. There may be some similarities in the countenance of the person, but it’s not (Stoddard),” a rep at a public relations firm hired on behalf of Astronomer told Page Six on Friday. “So (the rumour) is totally false based on misinformation.”
Why did Astronomer mention a statement from Byron?
A purported statement from Byron was posted to X on Thursday but it has since been identified as fake. “I want to acknowledge the moment that’s been circulating online, and the disappointment it’s caused,” said the fake statement, which included apologies to Byron’s wife, family and Astronomer employees.
“What was supposed to be a night of music and joy turned into a deeply personal mistake playing out on a very public stage,” it said before adding that it was “troubling” that “what should have been a private moment became public without my consent.” The fake statement ends with Coldplay lyrics: “Lights will guide you home, and ignite your bones, and I will try to fix you.”
Before Astronomer put out a statement, AFP had confirmed it was fake , but not before it had been shared across social media and in multiple news articles.
“It did originate from a troll account and is indeed fake,” Mark Wheeler, Astronomer’s senior vice president of marketing, told AFP in an email on Friday, referring to the X account @PeterEnisCBS, which appears to have first posted an image of the fake statement on Thursday. AFP could find no record of a Peter Enis working for CBS, and the X account has since been suspended.
Former Astronomer CEO Ry Walker also called the message “super fake” in an X post.
Super fake
— Ry Walker (@rywalker) July 18, 2025
How have other companies responded?
X delivered a simple line of text: “date idea: take your grok companion to coldplay.”
date idea: take your grok companion to coldplay
— X (@X) July 17, 2025
Tampa International Airport also decided to join in with: “Get your girl a plane ticket to see Coldplay or her boss will.”
And the movie studio Neon chose to post about its new body-horror movie Together with an image of the two canoodlers and the line: “The perfect date night movie.”
TOGETHER.
— NEON (@neonrated) July 17, 2025
“The perfect date night movie.”
In theaters 7.30. pic.twitter.com/dw3IQg7QFY
Not all the memes were so straightforward. Netflix obliquely posted an image from its documentary series Quarterback of Kirk Cousins of the Atlanta Falcons saying “I like Coldplay,” and that “one of the best concerts I’ve ever been to was Coldplay.”
— Netflix (@netflix) July 17, 2025
By far the most unusual take on the situation was from New York City Sanitation , which defines itself as the “world’s largest municipal sanitation force” and notes that it collects 24 million pounds of trash and recycling every day.
It tends to send out messages about proper use of garbage bins and holiday well wishes, but on Thursday chose to tell its 98,000 followers: “Cameras are EVERYWHERE! Don’t get caught doing something you *maybe* shouldn’t be doing. Thinking about doing something naughty, like dumping trash in the City? We’ve got video cameras all over. We WILL catch you — and you will pay the price!”
Below those words was a montage of five images: a sign warning about illegal dumping, three photos that showed what looked like people doing just that — and Byron and Cabot at the Coldplay concert. Some people can’t keep their minds out of the gutter.
Cameras are EVERYWHERE! Don't get caught doing something you *maybe* shouldn't be doing.
— NYC Sanitation (@NYCSanitation) July 17, 2025
Thinking about doing something naughty, like dumping trash in the City? We've got video cameras all over. We WILL catch you - and you will pay the price! pic.twitter.com/okY8EQpTIO
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