Coldplay’s Wednesday concert at Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts was nothing short of a sensation, but not because of the beloved band’s music. In an unpredictable moment that ultimately shook the Internet, a kiss cam mortified Astronomer CEO Andy Byron and the AI-centric company’s HR head, Kristin Cabot, by exposing their alleged workplace affair.

While the idea of romance in itself may not have been a big turn off, social media was quick to dig up the pair’s professional (and personal) history, only to find out that Byron was married to someone else. Meanwhile, the New York Post outed that Cabot finalised her divorce with ex-husband Kenneth Thornby in 2022, as per court records.

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How a Coldplay concert changed lives for the worse

A particular video of Coldplay’s Massachusetts concert went viral on social media. Soon enough a man and woman, appearing to be a couple, became the prime focus of viral discussions online. The pair was caught on camera embracing each other and holding hands, leaving even frontman Chris Martin tongue-tied. The duo in question was ultimately identified as Astronomer CEO Andy Byron and his company’s HR officer Kristin Cabot.

As soon as the camera panned to them and they realised they were plastered on the jumbotron, Cabot turned her back to it while burying her face in her hands. Byron, on the other, ducked low in a flash to stay off the camera.

Chris Martin also caught the gist of what had happened, exclaiming, “Holy sh*t! I hope we didn’t do something bad.” Though chuckling through it all, the lead singer quipped, “Either they’re having an affair or they’re just very shy.”

‘Coldplaygate’ elevation

The whole incident evolved into the viral “Coldplaygate” phenomenon, with the video being widely circulated online. Internet sleuth soon went on to dig up dirt on tech mogul, identifying his apparent wife as Megan Kerrigan Byron, who eventually appeared to drop ‘Byron’ from her name on Facebook. Upon discovering her social media, netizens unflinchingly flooded her feed with the viral concert video.

Subsequently, former employees came out of hiding to speak out on Byron allegedly harbouring a toxic work environment. Someone who was directly reporting to the mogul at one point said that group chats filled with ex-employees were “enjoying” their old boss being exposed, becoming the butt of Internet’s jokes.

Given the circumstances, memes inspired by the Coldplay concert events consumed social media. Some people took the meme train to the next level by going as far as spreading fake reports and fabricated statements supposedly penned by the man of the hour himself. Multiple messages of the sort hit the web, but were ultimately debunked as nothing more than just fake news banking on the opportunity.

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Elon Musk joins the chat

Even Elon Musk joined the chatter sometime down the line. The tech billionaire was one among many to take note of one of these fake statements going around. Responding to a screenshot falsely suggesting that Byron had posted an ‘apology’ via the official X account of Astronomer, the SpaceX boss hit send on a single laughing emoji.

Neither of the parties involved in the mess has since officially responded to the infamous hot topic. Internet, anyhow, continues to debate on the issue. Some claim that the Astronomer execs’ privacy was invaded and they should’ve been left alone at the concert, avoiding all the doxxing that followed. Others simply pointed out the pair’s stupidity to be indulging in their alleged romance at such a public spot if all they ever wanted was to hide.

As Coldplay shared a recap of the “Show #207, Boston,” the band’s official account obviously steered clear of any mentions of the incident that infamously registered the event in chaotic history. Fans camped out in the comments to roast the band as well, with people throwing out playful jokes like “Sounds like it was a great affair!,” and “The day Coldplay-ed became a verb,” and “I’d like to file an HR complaint!”