Former NFL legend Jason Taylor nearly registered his name in the now-viral ‘ColdplayGate‘ during a Miami Dolphins’ Monday Night Football match-up against the New York Jets.

One of the British rock band’s concerts in July thrust then-Astronomer CEO Andy Byron and the company’s former HR chief Kristin Cabot into the controversial limelight. And now, people in the stands during musical showcases, games and more such public events are undoubtedly on edge about being caught on camera like them.

On Monday (US time), the 51-year-old former American football defensive end almost suffered a similar reputation hit, as ESPN cameras caught him in a VIP suite with a woman at the Hard Rock Stadium. The young companion was noticeably sitting on the athlete’s lap. But as soon as the camera turned to them during the game’s fourth quarter, she seemingly got up quickly, which many deemed was to escape the camera lens.

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NFL legend Jason Taylor’s ‘Coldplay moment’ debunked

However, the woman didn’t exactly flee the scene or hide herself, much like how Cabot and Byron did during the original Coldplay kiss cam moment. Countless memes and clips of the scene flooded social media platform X, with many posting things like: “Jason Taylor this is your Coldplay moment.” Regardless of what these posts may depict, the woman having shot to viral fame was none other than Jason’s wife, Monica Taylor.

For those already jumping to speculations of one sort or the other, the video doing numbers on social media actually confirms that Monica wasn’t necessarily trying to evade the camera. Just as ESPN shifted its focus onto the couple, she seemed to be already in motion, and chose to sit right beside the ex-NFL star after getting off his lap. Both of them continue to exchange affectionate gestures thereafter and are even seen smiling at and talking to each others. At one point, Jason even appears to wipe something off Monica’s shoulder.

Who is Monica Taylor?

Thanks to the now-busted ‘Coldplay moment’ that never was, not only has Jason Taylor’s wife found a new kind of popularity on the Internet, but so has his family. For the unversed, while Monica’s name is directly associated with an NFL star, she shared a sports history of her own, thanks to her old Miami Dolphins cheerleading days.

The former cheerleader and Jason tied the knot in 2020 following a year-long engagement. They now share a son named Jordan, whom they welcomed in nearly a year after their wedding.

As could be predicted, both Monica and Jason shared something else in common long before Jordan came along – Miami Dolphins, a team that ultimately led to the collision of their fates. (Jason has three other kids – Mason, Isaiah and Zoey – whom he shares with his ex-wife Katina.)

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She dedicated four years of her life to that role. According to her LinkedIn profile, she started out as a cheerleader for the NFL team in 2013 and even served as the three-time cover girl of the Miami Dolphins Cheerleader swimsuit calendar during that period. As she went on to cheer for four football seasons, she even went overseas on three military tours to visit our United States Armed Forces.

According to Monica’s LinkedIn profile, she is self-employed and listed as the owner and designer of Monuit, an online apparel company for women based out of Fort Lauderdale. Taylor founded it in 2020. In addition to her handling her business, she is the the vice president of the Jason Taylor Foundation, which has a mission to “support and create programs that facilitate the personal growth and empowerment of South Florida’s children in need by focusing on improved health care, education and quality of life.”