The recent 'ColdplayGate' incident at a Coldplay concert has sparked a renewed wave of online conversations, with some claiming that the long-running animated series, The Simpsons, predicted the event years ago. The truth, however, is rooted in coincidence and modern technology, not prophecy.
Some posts claimed that a 2017 episode of The Simpsons, specifically Season 26, Episode 10, featured a similar kiss cam scene with characters resembling Byron and Cabot. The images circulated widely, with fans asserting the episode predicted the incident long before it happened. The comparison appeared uncanny to some, sparking buzz that the show had predicted this modern controversy.
The Coldplay Incident and Viral Rumours
On 16 July 2025, during a Coldplay show at Gillette Stadium, a moment captured on the venue's kiss cam showed Astronomer CEO Andy Byron and Chief People Officer Kristin Cabot appearing close together. The clip quickly went viral on platforms such as X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook. Behind the scenes, Chris Martin joked, 'Either they're having an affair or they're very shy,' which only fuelled the online chatter. Within days, social media users linked the scene to an alleged scene from The Simpsons, suggesting the show had foreseen the moment.
@sarasweirdworld Did the Simpsons know about the Coldplay CEO Andy Byron ? #andybyron #coldplayconcert #thesimpsons #simpsonscoldplay #simpsonsclips #simpsonspredictions #coldplayceo #kisscam
♬ Minimal for news / news suspense(1169746) - Hiraoka Kotaro
Fact-Checking the Prediction Theory
Al Jean, the showrunner of The Simpsons, publicly dismissed the speculation. He stated that the series is designed to satirise current events, not to predict the future. Jean's comments emphasised that any similarities are purely coincidental.
Further investigation revealed the viral image was AI-generated, and no characters resembling Byron or Cabot appeared in any episode of The Simpsons, and the purported scene did not exist in the show's history.
Why Do These Claims Resurface?
The idea that The Simpsons can predict future events has persisted for decades. Fans often point to episodes that seem eerily relevant to real-world developments. For example, in the 2000 episode 'Bart to the Future', Lisa mentions inheriting problems from 'President Trump', a reference that gained new relevance when Donald Trump became US President in 2016.
Similarly, an episode from 1993 called 'Marge in Chains' depicted a fictional flu pandemic, reminiscent of COVID-19. Another episode from 1998 showed the 20th Century Fox logo with a line about being a division of Walt Disney Co, which came true when Disney acquired Fox in 2017.
In Season 3, Episode 14 ("Lisa the Greek"), the show correctly predicted the winners of multiple Super Bowls, including Super Bowl XXVI, where Lisa foretold the Washington Redskins' victory. A more recent and eerie coincidence involves an underwater adventure in Season 17, Episode 10 ("Homer's Paternity Coot"), which mirrored the real-life 2023 disaster when the OceanGate submersible imploded, tragically killing all onboard.
The series also anticipated modern technology with Season 6, Episode 19 ("Lisa's Wedding"), where a character uses a voice-activated watch to propose, foreshadowing the rise of smartwatches in 2013. Additionally, the episode "$pringfield" from Season 5 depicted a tragic tiger attack on entertainers similar to the 2003 incident involving Roy Horn of Siegfried and Roy. These instances highlight how the show's satirical predictions often seem remarkably prescient.
The Reality Behind the Predictions
Despite these coincidences, experts agree that The Simpsons' predictions are a combination of satire, social commentary, and chance. The show's writers often draw on current trends, exaggerating them for humour and effect.
The recent Coldplay kiss cam incident was a real event, but the viral images linking it to The Simpsons are either misinterpretations or AI-made fabrications. While the series has a history of seemingly predicting future events, these instances are generally coincidences.
