During Coldplay’s recent Boston concert, frontman Chris Martin sparked a viral moment when the “kiss cam” appeared to catch what many believe to be an affair in progress. As the camera zoomed in on a man with his arm around a woman, he quickly ducked out of sight, while she tried to hide her face.
Martin jokingly commented, “Oh look at these two… Either they’re having an affair or they’re just really shy,” prompting laughter from the crowd. However, what started as a lighthearted moment quickly turned into a viral corporate scandal.
Internet sleuths soon identified the pair as Andy Byron, CEO of New York-based company Astronomer, and Kristin Cabot, the firm’s Chief People Officer. The clip of the moment went viral, sparking outrage and speculation about a possible affair between the executive and his employee.
Soon after, a statement attributed to Byron began circulating on social media, where he apologized for a “deeply personal mistake” and ended with a quote from Coldplay’s “Fix You.” It read, “You deserve better from me as a partner, a father, and a leader.”
However, the statement was quickly debunked. It originated from a parody X account posing as “Peter Enis” from CBS News. The account, which had briefly removed its parody label, was flagged with a community note clarifying the post was fake.
Astronomer later confirmed to TMZ that the statement was not real. The incident remains a humorous yet cautionary tale about public perception and internet virality.