What was intended to be an evening of music under the stars turned into an unexpected public relations nightmare for Astronomer, a leading data technology company based in the United States. During Coldplay’s recent concert in Boston, the company’s CEO, Andy Byron, was spotted in an intimate moment with Kristin Cabot, Astronomer’s Chief of Human Resources, setting off a chain of events that included allegations of infidelity, workplace misconduct, and a claim of an employee being terminated for his involvement in procuring the concert tickets, as per a report by Hindustan Times.

The scandal, widely referred to by social media users as the “Coldplay kiss cam” incident, has sent ripples through tech and HR circles, raising questions around workplace ethics, public accountability, and internet misinformation.

The Concert That Sparked a Storm

The incident occurred during Coldplay’s sold-out show in Boston, a performance that drew thousands of fans and included several celebrity attendees. During one of the band’s signature romantic interludes—often punctuated by crowd shots and a “kiss cam”, live footage appeared to show Andy Byron embracing Kristin Cabot.

Although both individuals were not immediately identified by the general audience, the clip soon made its way onto social media, where online sleuths pieced together their identities. Byron is currently married, while Cabot’s divorce was reportedly finalized in 2022. Their appearance together at the concert, interpreted by many as a romantic display, drew criticism for alleged professional impropriety.

Allegations of a Firing: Real or Fabricated?

As the video of the Coldplay concert couple went viral, the drama took another turn with the emergence of a claim from a man named Alex Cohen. Posting on X (formerly Twitter), Cohen alleged that he had been dismissed from his position at Astronomer for booking the concert tickets that inadvertently led to the public exposure of Byron and Cabot’s relationship.

“I was fired from Astronomer today. I ran our company’s events team,” Cohen wrote. “Turns out our CEO and Head of HR were having an affair and got caught at the Coldplay concert that I bought the company tickets to. They blamed me for getting caught and fired me on the spot.”

The dramatic post quickly caught fire online, with many users expressing outrage at what appeared to be corporate retaliation against a subordinate. Others, however, raised doubts about the authenticity of Cohen’s claims, especially given the lack of verifiable professional links between him and the Astronomer.

Online Community Exposes the Truth

It didn’t take long for internet users to poke holes in Cohen’s narrative. A cursory search of his LinkedIn profile revealed that he is the co-founder and CEO of HelloPatient, a healthcare startup he has been associated with for over a year. No mention of Astronomer could be found in his listed professional history. Cohen has also previously been affiliated with Carbon Health, as mentioned in the Hindustan Times report.

One user commented, “Why is your LinkedIn not showing you worked there, and having launched HelloPatient more than 8 months ago?” Another sarcastically wrote, “Dying, I was literally drafting a troll post about this and deleted it because I needed to make sure Alex hadn’t done it already.”

Even Grok, an AI tool developed by xAI, weighed in, stating, “The Coldplay kiss cam incident exposing Astronomer CEO Andy Byron and HR chief Kristin Cabot’s alleged affair is real, per viral videos and reports from Yahoo, Newsweek, and others. However, Alex Cohen’s firing claim is fabricated satire—no evidence he worked at Astronomer (his LinkedIn lists HelloPatient and Carbon Health). It’s a viral hoax.”

The Fallout and Corporate Silence

Despite the buzz online, Astronomer has not issued an official public statement addressing either the alleged affair or the now-debunked firing. Company insiders and industry watchers are speculating about possible internal repercussions, especially given that both the CEO and the HR head—individuals entrusted with maintaining ethical conduct—are central to the scandal.

The company, which specializes in data orchestration tools and has received millions in venture funding, now finds itself at the center of a very public controversy. Some legal experts suggest that the company could face scrutiny if internal investigations find a breach of corporate policy or if employees raise formal complaints.

Meanwhile, Coldplay, known for their crowd-friendly shows and inclusive messaging, remains detached from the controversy, though some online humorists have joked that “Chris Martin should’ve stuck to the music.”

In what should have been an evening of melody and celebration, a Coldplay concert became the backdrop for a corporate scandal that mixed alleged infidelity, executive misconduct, and online deception. While the “Coldplay kiss cam” footage remains genuine and the identities of those involved confirmed, the alleged firing of an employee for buying the tickets has been discredited as satire.

As the dust settles, Astronomer may be forced to confront its own internal policies and the broader questions raised by the incident.

FAQs

What is the “Coldplay kiss cam” incident?

The “Coldplay kiss cam” incident refers to a viral video from Coldplay’s Boston concert showing Astronomer CEO Andy Byron and HR Chief Kristin Cabot in an apparent romantic embrace. The moment, captured during the concert’s crowd shots, sparked allegations of infidelity and workplace misconduct.

Who are the individuals involved?

Andy Byron, the CEO of Astronomer, and Kristin Cabot, the company’s Chief of Human Resources, were identified in the video. Byron is reportedly married, while Cabot is divorced as of 2022.