Coldplay frontman Chris Martin gave fans a playful heads-up about the now-infamous “kiss cam” during the band’s latest show in Wisconsin on Saturday.
The gig at Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, marked the band’s return to the stage following their show in Massachusetts, where a viral video appeared to show Astronomer CEO Andy Byron embracing a senior colleague on the jumbotron.
The clip, filmed during the band’s show at Boston’s Gillette Stadium on July 16, shows the pair apparently cuddling before realising they’ve been projected onto the big screen.
The man quickly ducks out of view while the woman turns away and hides her face. Social media users were quick to allege that Byron is a married man.
In footage from Saturday’s concert shared on social media, Martin appeared to tread carefully as he introduced the “kiss cam,” seemingly aiming to avoid any fresh controversy.
"We’d like to say hello to some of you in the crowd," Martin said to cheers. “How we’re gonna do that is we’re gonna use our cameras and put some of you on the big screen.”
“So please, if you haven’t done your makeup, do your makeup now.” He did not expressly mention Wednesday's incident.
In the wake of the viral moment, the US tech boss resigned, according to a statement posted on LinkedIn by the company on Saturday.
The move came the day after Astronomer, the software company at the centre of the drama, said Byron has been suspended while an investigation took place.
In a statement, the company said: "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.”
Astronomer co-founder and Chief Product Officer Pete DeJoy is now serving as interim CEO.
Fake apology statements attributed to Byron and Coldplay circulated online following the incident on Wednesday, including one viral hoax claiming the band would introduce "camera-free audience sections for people and their sidepieces."
Other misinformation that went viral in the wake of the incident included a fake claim by a man he had been fired from Astronomer for buying the Coldplay tickets.
@sonia.gogan Coldplay Chris Martin did not mention the CEO at the Madison show following Boston last week. He did give much of a warning to fans, and reccomended they do their makeup if they haven’t already… makes me wonder why the CEO and CPO thought maybe we shouldn’t hug right now.. #coldplay #coldplayconcert #madisonwisconsin #uwmadison #coldplayaffair #affair #astronomerceo
♬ original sound - Sonia Gogan
The scandal has sparked glee among some former Astronomer staffers. A former direct report told the New York Post: “The text groups and chains of former employees are like… everybody’s laughing their a** off and enjoying the hell out of what happened and him getting exposed.”
Footage showing their reaction and Martin’s commentary - has now been seen by millions around the world.
The Coldplay fan who filmed the moment told The U.S. Sun she did not expect it to cause a scandal. "I had no idea who the couple was. Just thought I caught an interesting reaction to the kiss cam and decided to post it," she said. "A part of me feels bad for turning these people’s lives upside down, but, play stupid games… win stupid prizes."
Even longer footage has since emerged, showing the full reaction of a visibly panicked Cabot. Neither Byron nor Cabot has spoken publicly about the incident.
Byron had served as CEO of Astronomer - valued at more than $1.3 billion - since July 2023. Cabot, who goes by Kristin Cabot Thornby on LinkedIn, joined the company nine months ago as Chief People Officer.
When she was appointed, Byron praised her as a "proven leader" with "exceptional leadership and deep expertise in talent management." On her LinkedIn profile, Cabot previously described herself as someone who "wins trust with employees of all levels, from CEOs to managers to assistants."
