What began as a lighthearted moment at a Coldplay concert has spiraled into a viral corporate scandal involving Astronomer CEO Andy Byron and Chief People Officer Kristin Cabot. During the July 16 show in Boston, the pair appeared on the stadium’s “kiss cam,” reacting with visible panic—ducking and hiding from view. Coldplay frontman Chris Martin even joked, “Either they’re having an affair or they’re just very shy,” a remark that only fueled speculation once the clip hit social media.

The video, posted by TikTok user Grace Springer (aka @instaagraace), quickly gained over 55 million views. Springer clarified she had no idea who the couple was when she posted the clip, saying, “I just thought I caught an interesting reaction.” Still, she added, “Play stupid games, win stupid prizes,” noting she hopes the exposure brings healing for those affected. The post sparked a frenzy of internet sleuthing, revealing both Byron and Cabot are married to other people—or were until now.

Byron’s wife, Megan Kerrigan Byron, responded in a bold but silent move: she removed his last name from her social media and eventually deleted her accounts entirely. Byron himself deleted his LinkedIn profile amid mounting backlash. A viral fake apology statement further muddied the waters, prompting Astronomer to publicly confirm it was a hoax.

In an ironic twist, a different Andy Byron—not the CEO—went viral for a humorous LinkedIn post distancing himself from the scandal. “My wife is going to be so happy when I tell her I wasn’t cheating,” he joked.

As speculation swirls and neither Byron nor Cabot has commented, “ColdplayGate” continues to dominate headlines, blending corporate drama with viral internet culture.