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Astronomer CEO and HR go viral after Coldplay concert ‘PDA’; spark memefest on the Internet

At Coldplay’s Foxborough concert, a crowd-cam caught Astronomer CEO Andy Byron and HR chief Kristin Cabot in a cozy moment, and the video went viral.

A concertgoer captured the moment and posted it to X, where it has now been viewed more than 100 million times

Astronomer, a software start-up known for data-ops tools, found its CEO in an unexpected social media firestorm Thursday, and it had nothing to do with code or product launches.

At Coldplay’s concert on Wednesday night in Foxborough, Massachusetts, a moment captured by the venue’s crowd camera went wildly viral. The camera zoomed in on a couple standing close, the man’s arms wrapped around the woman’s waist. That pair was quickly identified online as Andy Byron, CEO of Astronomer, and Kristin Cabot, the company’s Chief People Officer.

As their image lit up the jumbotron, Byron abruptly ducked out of view behind a railing, while Cabot threw her hands over her face. Coldplay frontman Chris Martin didn’t miss a beat, joking to the crowd, “Either they’re having an affair or they’re just very shy.” The crowd erupted, and the Internet followed.

A concertgoer captured the moment and posted it to X, where it has now been viewed more than 100 million times — sparking a flood of memes, jokes, and commentary that pushed Astronomer into the viral stratosphere.

Coldplay accidentally exposed an alleged affair between Astronomer CEO Andy Byron and his colleague Kristin Cabot at one of their recent concerts. pic.twitter.com/hsJHV2u5UM

— Pop Base (@PopBase) July 17, 2025

Astronomer CEO memes:

One X user said, “Coldplay hasn’t made a single in years. Last night, they made two.”

Coldplay hasn’t made a single in years.

Last night, they made two. pic.twitter.com/tlhPBWRX0Y

— Eric Matheny 🎙️ (@ericmmatheny) July 17, 2025

I’m sorry but someone had to do it pic.twitter.com/kBxIb94Cl8

— Robert Sterling (@RobertMSterling) July 17, 2025

Another mocked Byron’s reaction, writing, “Man ALL YOU HAD TO DO was no-sell it. If you hadn’t gone down like you’d been shot, nobody would’ve ever known. What, you think your spouses are sat at home watching Coldplay jumbotron footage??? You’ve absolutely played yourselves.”

Man ALL YOU HAD TO DO was no-sell it. If you hadn’t gone down like you’d been shot, nobody would’ve ever known. What, you think your spouses are sat at home watching Coldplay jumbotron footage??? You’ve absolutely played yourselves. https://t.co/BorZxLZ0p6

— Chris Deeley (@ThatChris1209) July 17, 2025

Picture of the Astronomer CEO & the Head of HR at the weekly staff meeting. pic.twitter.com/W59xCTCcQs

— ScottW (@jswtreeman) July 17, 2025

She knows everything. https://t.co/WYKWnB682G pic.twitter.com/Jye7XNxAhF

— Gina Bontempo (@FlorioGina) July 17, 2025

My X timeline today: pic.twitter.com/tqPrKJF0af

— Prison Mitch (@MidnightMitch) July 17, 2025

“So you’re telling me we lost the government contract because of a fucking Coldplay concert” pic.twitter.com/PJ7l69gSu7

— Gannon Breslin (@gannonbreslin) July 17, 2025

TOGETHER.
“The perfect date night movie.”
In theaters 7.30. pic.twitter.com/dw3IQg7QFY

— NEON (@neonrated) July 17, 2025

rt to scare a ceo pic.twitter.com/9U9uoOyEw4

— ben 🌙 (@coldplayben) July 17, 2025

Chris Martin did today what he did years ago. pic.twitter.com/ZDIU1chhZp

— sumaira shaikh (@sumairashaik) July 17, 2025

the wife watching this at home https://t.co/Sr0BhgCJAZ pic.twitter.com/ttHRRcqstL

— Shreemi Verma (@shreemiverma19) July 17, 2025

pic.twitter.com/Ay1AEj4w2K

— Steel Rain (@SteelRain602) July 17, 2025

“we’re just coworkers”

Chris Martin and his camera team: pic.twitter.com/RAczlWc8Yl

— T (@teewatterss) July 17, 2025

https://t.co/PBPTmvGuoU pic.twitter.com/Rw94vSZ0Kv

— safed naag (@IndieKnopfler) July 17, 2025

The meme machine went into overdrive, with reactions pouring in from all corners of the Internet. TikTok and Instagram followed suit, resharing the clip and layering on commentary, mostly centered around the couple’s dramatic response rather than the PDA itself.

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While neither Byron nor Cabot has publicly commented on the incident, the attention has reignited interest in their professional and personal lives.

Also Read | ‘ColdplayGate’ explained: How a ‘kiss cam’ moment at Coldplay concert thrust Astronomer CEO Andy Byron into viral chaos

Who are Andy Byron and Kristin Cabot?

Byron, who stepped into the CEO role at Astronomer in 2023, had previously worked in enterprise tech and was praised for his leadership style. Cabot joined in 2024 as the company’s HR head and soon after posted about how “inspired” she was by the leadership team — singling out Byron for his vision and values. He had responded warmly in her official onboarding announcement, calling her “exceptional” with “deep expertise in talent management.”

Astronomer CEO Andy Byron’s wife reaction:

But the viral moment dragged others into the spotlight as well — most notably Byron’s wife, Megan Kerrigan. According to reports from The New York Post, Megan’s social media accounts were flooded with messages following the incident. She has since taken down her Facebook and deleted her Instagram, after initially removing her last name from public profiles.

There’s still no formal statement from either Byron or Cabot, and whether their relationship extends beyond the office remains unconfirmed. For now, it’s a case of tech world meets tabloid, and a moment that will likely stay frozen in Coldplay’s tour footage and Internet infamy for a long time.