Did Coldplay (and the Internet) Uncover an Affair?
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July 19, 2025

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Culture Pop!

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editor@creativeunderworld.com

Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images

We’ve heard of Chris Martin’s consciously uncoupling with his own ex, but this may be the first time he has helped unconsciously uncouple someone else’s relationship. After two audience members fueled cheating allegations with a … memorable appearance on the Jumbotron during a Coldplay show at Boston’s Gillette Stadium on July 16, online sleuths clocked in and discovered the pair appear to be co-workers at software company Astronomer. Forget The Morning Show and Severance — this is the internet’s new favorite (alleged) workplace drama.

Now that we’re all involved, a July 18 statement from Astronomer says an investigation will determine next steps for the now-viral duo. Below, a breakdown of the moment caught on-camera, plus the memes that will never let them forget it.

What exactly did Chris Martin see?

As the camera cut to fans around the stadium, it landed on a man embracing a woman from behind as they swayed together. “Ooh, look at these two,” Martin says into the mic, clearly expecting a cute kiss-cam moment. Instead, the woman immediately covers her face with her hands and turns around, while the man crouches to the ground out of sight. Not suspicious at all. In now-viral footage posted to TikTok by @instaagraace, some of the thousands of concert attendees are laughing, but Martin was the one with the mic, so he’s the one we hear assessing the situation in real time. “All right, come on. You’re okay — oh, what?” he says, going on to speculate. “Either they’re having an affair, or they’re just very shy.”

Who are these people?

The internet has identified the man as Andy Byron, the CEO of tech start-up Astronomer, and it has been widely alleged that the woman he’s with is Kristin Cabot, Astronomer’s head of HR. (Their faces seem to match the photos on the company’s “About Us” page.)

Public records show that Byron lives with his wife in a city near Boston, Newsweek reports. Cabot began working at Astronomer in November, according to her LinkedIn profile (in which she describes herself as an “influential leader and fearless change-agent” who “lead[s] by example and win[s] trust with employees of all levels, from CEOs to managers to assistants”). That month, Byron had praised Cabot’s “exceptional leadership, expertise in talent management, employee engagement, and scaling people strategies” in an Astronomer press release.

In the video, a woman to the left of the pair places a hand on the side of her head with an embarrassed smile. Though the leading theory on the internet implicated Astronomer’s senior director of people, the company clarified that “Alyssa Stoddard was not at the event and no other employees were in the video” on July 18.

Before it was deactivated, Byron’s wife’s Facebook was flooded with supportive comments from viewers of the viral video, many feeling extra sympathetic given that her account had public pictures of what appeared to be two children she shares with Byron.

What does Astronomer’s statement say?

“Astronomer is committed to the values and culture that have guided us since our founding,” reads its July 18 statement. “Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability. The Board of Directors has initiated a formal investigation into this matter and we will have additional details to share very shortly.”

In response to fake statements from the CEO (like this one referencing Coldplay lyrics), Astronomer clarified, “Andy Byron has not put out any statement, reports saying otherwise are all incorrect.”

Just how viral has this moment gone?

As of publication, the original video has been viewed more than 28.3 million times on TikTok, though its reach has widened significantly as the clip has spread to other platforms. (Pop Crave’s and Pop Base’s tweets alone have 67 million combined views so far.)

Meanwhile, enough curious people were checking out Byron’s LinkedIn profile that some opportunists began jokingly promoting themselves or their companies in the comments of his posts; one user advertised a wheelchair-van service for everyone with ADA needs, including “recently spouse run-over executives,” while another listed their qualifications and shared what type of jobs they were looking for. Byron’s LinkedIn has since been made private or deleted, providing people with one less place to share that they are #OpentoWork — or to wonder if his wife will be #OpentoWorkingItOut with him.

They got the Philly Phanatic!

New plot on Abbott incoming!

And they’re making memes, of course.

Except Carrie might not have cared about being caught on-camera with Big.

Other fictional duos came to mind …

… as well as some real-life pairs.

Anyone looking for a low-budget Halloween option?

Vindication!

Add this to his résumé.

That would be a new reason for an artist to institute a no-phones policy.

Has Astronomer said anything?

The company has made its first (real) statement since the affair was uncovered. “Cofounder and Chief Product Officer Pete DeJoy is currently serving as interim CEO given Andy Byron has been placed on leave,” Astronomer wrote on July 18, also adding, “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.”

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