Video: After kiss cam chaos, Chris Martin fires back with sly Coldplay concert joke

Dubai: Coldplay frontman Chris Martin playfully warned fans to “get camera-ready” at Saturday night’s show — a cheeky nod to the kiss-cam chaos three days earlier, when he accidentally spotlighted Astronomer CEO Andy Byron cosying up to his head of HR.

“We’re going to use our cameras and put some of you on the big screen,” the 48-year-old singer told the crowd, before cheekily adding, “So please, if you haven’t done your makeup, do your makeup now.”

His comment came just days after an awkward moment in Boston went viral — and set off a corporate firestorm.

During Coldplay’s Spheres World Tour show at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, a man and woman swaying to Yellow were caught on the jumbotron. As the camera zoomed in, they quickly ducked out of view — prompting Martin to quip: “Either they’re having an affair or they’re just very shy.”

Within hours, the internet identified them as Andy Byron, CEO of $1.3 billion AI firm Astronomer, and Kristin Cabot, the company’s chief people officer — both married, but not to each other. 

As memes and speculation exploded across X, TikTok and Instagram, the company was forced to act. Byron, 50, and Cabot, 52, were placed on immediate leave as Astronomer launched an internal investigation.

By Saturday, Byron resigned.

“Astronomer is committed to the values and culture that have guided us since our founding,” the company posted on LinkedIn. “Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability — and recently, that standard was not met.”

Co-founder Pete DeJoy was named interim CEO. 

In the days following the incident:

Meanwhile, social media users have dubbed the saga Coldplaygate, speculating on an affair that remains unconfirmed.

After the couple vanished from the screen in Boston, Martin expressed slight regret: “Hope we didn’t do something wrong.” Moments later, however, he was back joking with the crowd in Madison, asking another pair:
“Are you two a legitimate couple?” 

The incident has sparked wider debate around office relationships, public image, and corporate accountability. Experts say the situation underscores how blurred personal and professional boundaries — especially in high-profile roles — can spiral quickly in the digital age.