There have been some awkward and sometimes hilarious interactions caught on kiss cam, but one person who definitely won't be laughing in Andy Byron. The CEO of a startup company called Astronomer is facing cheating allegations after he was caught embracing a woman at a Coldplay concert.
The viral footage caught Byron and Astronomer Chief People Officer Kristin Cabot on camera, with him quickly ducking out of sight and her turning away from the screen in an attempt to hide her face.
They say that cheaters always get caught, and let's be honest, if you're going to have an extramarital affair, heading to a concert with thousands of people there probably isn't the smartest idea.
In the viral footage, Coldplay frontman Chris Martin can be heard saying, "Oh, look at these two." As the pair quickly parted ways, Martin quipped: "Oh, what...either they’re having an affair or they’re just very shy."
Advert
Astronomer's LinkedIn lists Byron as CEO since 2023, with the New York-based data orchestration platform saying it "empowers data teams to bring mission-critical analytics, AI, and software to life."
Cabot's LinkedIn states she joined Astronomer nine months ago, and in another strange turn, she's since scrubbed her second surname of Thornby (which was in brackets) from her social media.
As Byron is left red-faced, there are concerns about what the drama could do to Astronomer. Considering Astronomer is a privately held startup that doesn't trade on the stock market or have a stock ticker, there's no immediate data to suggest the tech company will suffer.
Advert
Even though #ColdplayGate has gone viral, there has been no investor commentary on Astronomer's valuation or fundraising plans that suggest it'll be adversely affected.
According to UpMarket, which monitors private companies, Astronomer is listed at the same pre‑IPO valuation as before the scandal.
Despite Astronomer not being publicly traded, there could still be serious consequences in terms of trust in leadership, recruitment and retention, and a potential HR compliance risk if the relationship hadn't been disclosed.
Advert
Astronomer is backed by high-profile firms like Bain Capital Ventures, so as the company reportedly prepares for IPO or secondary-market liquidity, there's a genuine danger that investors could be spooked.
A statement supposedly from Byron has since gone viral, seemingly blaming Martin for his current predicament. It referred to a "deeply personal mistake playing out on a very public stage," adding: "I want to sincerely apologize to my wife, my family, and the team at Astronomer. You deserve better from me as a partner, as a father, and as a leader."
As well as asking for privacy, it ends with a Coldplay quote saying: "Lights will guide you home, and ignite your bones, and I will try to fix you."
According to TMZ, Astronomer has reiterated this is 'not a real statement'.
Advert
The signs were there, as the account that made the statement only had 50 followers and was under the handle Peter Enis...as in P. Enis.
While we await to see what happens next, we're reminded of when McDonald's CEO Steve Easterbrook was voted out of his position by the board after a relationship with a member of staff was revealed in 2019.