Andy Byron, CEO of New York-based tech firm Astronomer, has found himself at the center of public attention after being identified in a viral video clip from a Coldplay concert.
What Andy Byron said about the jumbotron blunder
The video showed a man, alleged to be Byron, dancing intimately with a woman later identified in reports as Astronomer’s Chief People Officer, Kristin Cabot.
The pair quickly ducked out of camera view when they realised they had appeared on the venue’s jumbotron, sparking a wave of speculation across social media.
Coldplay’s frontman Chris Martin made a lighthearted but pointed remark after the moment aired live to concertgoers.
“Either they’re having an affair or they’re just very shy,” Martin said, drawing laughs from the crowd.
“I hope we didn’t do something bad,” he added, following up with a surprised “Holy sh–t!” as the incident unfolded in real time.
The viral footage was widely shared, prompting intense public reactions.
While neither Byron nor Cabot immediately addressed the video, online actions suggested growing fallout.
Byron’s LinkedIn account was either deleted or made private shortly after the incident, and Megan Byron, believed to be his wife, removed “Byron” from her surname on her Facebook profile.
The situation was made more visible by Byron’s role in hiring Cabot in November 2024.
At the time, Byron had praised her “exceptional leadership and deep enterprise in talent management, employee engagement, and scaling people strategies.”
Cabot had similarly expressed enthusiasm, stating she was “energised in my conversations with Andy.”
Astronomer’s public communications have since been limited. The company restricted replies on its social media posts and has not released an official statement about the incident.
Former Astronomer CEO and co-founder Ry Walker also became indirectly involved when people began contacting him for comment.
“For those asking — I’m no longer involved in [Astronomer],” Walker clarified in a social media post, distancing himself from the situation.
“Yes, I was co-founder and early CEO — not on the team or board since 2022, and have no information on ColdplayGate,” he added.
Walker couldn’t resist commenting on Coldplay’s unexpected role in the drama, stating:
“I have 704 liked songs in Spotify — none are Coldplay, but I do think Chris Martin is an amazing vocalist.”