Coldplay 'kiss cam' chief executive suspended by employer
The clip, which initially appeared on a giant screen at the British band's concert in Foxborough, Massachusetts, showed a man and a woman with their arms around each other, as they watched the stage.
When their faces appeared before thousands of people on the 'kiss cam', they abruptly ducked and seemingly hid from the camera.
Lead singer Chris Martin jokingly told the crowd the couple were either "having an affair or they're just very shy".
Reports they were executives at the same company, but married to other people, then quickly spread online, as internet sleuths tried to identify the pair.
New York City-based AI data company Astronomer named the man as CEO Andy Byron on Friday, after the video taken at the 16 July concert went viral on social media.
In a statement on X, it said: "Astronomer is committed to the values and culture that have guided us since our founding.
"Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability.
"The Board of Directors has initiated a formal investigation into this matter and we will have additional details to share very shortly."
It said reports Byron had issued a statement about the incident were false and that no other Astronomer employees were in the kiss cam video.
Other media reported the woman was Astronomer HR director Kristin Cabot and said both were placed on leave.
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Otago Daily Times
5 hours ago
- Otago Daily Times
The Secret Diary of...
WINSTON PETERS FROM NZ FIRST I have sent a strongly-worded letter joining 25 other world leaders to object to the Astronomer affair scandal. We, the undersigned, have called for an end to: ■The affair. It must cease immediately. ■Coldplay. They must lay down their instruments, and disband. ■Astronomer. It must go into receivership. ■Jumbotrons. The plug must be pulled. It is a public menace. We are confident of a result. RAWIRI WAITITI FROM TE PĀTI MĀORI Astronomer CEO Andy Bryson, white. His co-worker Kristin Cabot, white. Coldplay, producers of the whitest music ever recorded. Read into that what you will but I will only add that Māori did not have affairs before white people came to Aotearoa. It was a society based on fidelity, loyalty, peace, harmony, freedom, liberty, equality, and filing audited financial statements. SCOTT ROBERTSON FROM THE ALL BLACKS Andy and Kristin were just there to play footy with each other and they were in a good place. You could see they were feeling it. I mean once Chris Martin starts singing Yellow then that's when the heat is on and desire is going to lean into the maul. But the Jumbotron incident was against the run of play. Things took a wicked bounce and that's just one of those unfortunate things with modern stadiums. Everyone is watching everyone else, and one thing we know about footy is that you can run but you can't hide. AI-GENERATED CONTENT FROM NZME During a July 16, 2025 Coldplay concert at Gillette Stadium (Boston), Astronomer executives Andy Bryson and Kristin Cabot were unexpectedly filmed on the venue's kiss cam, sparking viral attention as they appeared very close on camera (e.g., hugging, whispering). Chris Martin quipped: 'Either they're having an affair or they're very shy,' which became symbolic of the moment's viral nature. In other news dominating the NZME homepage which reflects New Zealand current events, wrestling superstar Hulk Hogan dies aged 71. NATALIA CLELAND FROM WELLINGTON'S DOWNTOWN COMMUNITY MINISTRY A new report warns that the number of homeless people in New Zealand has increased at a rate faster than New Zealand's population growth. CHRISTOPHER LUXON FROM DAVID SEYMOUR'S GOVT Look, what I will say to you is that I'm in no mood to answer any frickin' questions about homelessness or anything else that is part of some media generated beat-up campaign to discredit the government and the real gains we are making in inflation, in education, in health, and in boot camps, above all in boot camps, you should see them for yourselves, frightened children from bad houses are learning to make their beds and get yelled at if they don't, I'd like to see what Chris frickin' Hipkins thinks is a better idea, he landed us all in this mess in the first place, but all anyone wants to talk about is the widespread perception that I am some sort of frickin' weakling led around by his nose and that I have manifestly failed to inspire confidence in my leadership, so look, let's all just change the subject and talk about the Astronomer affair scandal and how they more or less got busted frickin'.


NZ Herald
21 hours ago
- NZ Herald
Coldplay kiss cam scandal: HR chief Kristin Cabot resigns
Kristin Cabot resigned as HR chief at Astronomer after the Coldplay kiss cam scandal. Picture / Supplied Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech. Already a subscriber? Sign in here Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen. Kristin Cabot resigned as HR chief at Astronomer after the Coldplay kiss cam scandal. Picture / Supplied The woman at the centre of the Coldplay kiss cam scandal has resigned. Kristin Cabot, who was caught on the jumbotron canoodling with her boss Andy Byron at the UK band's Boston concert last Wednesday, has stepped down as the HR chief at Astronomer, a job she held for less than a year. The New York-based tech company confirmed the news in a statement on Thursday, US time. 'I can confirm that Kristin Cabot is no longer with Astronomer, she has resigned,' a spokesperson for the company told Page Six. It comes days after Byron also resigned from his job as the firm's CEO.

RNZ News
a day ago
- RNZ News
Hulk Hogan, who helped turn pro wrestling into billion-dollar spectacle, dies at 71
By Rocky Swift , Reuters US pro-wrestler Hulk Hogan flexes his muscles after speaking at a 2024 Republican National Convention. Photo: ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP Hulk Hogan, the American sports and entertainment star who made professional wrestling a global phenomenon and loudly supported Donald Trump for president , has died at the age of 71, World Wrestling Entertainment has said. "WWE is saddened to learn WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan has passed away. One of pop culture's most recognizable figures, Hogan helped WWE achieve global recognition in the 1980s," WWE said on X. It gave no cause of death. The bleach-blonde, mahogany-tanned behemoth became the face of professional wrestling in the 1980s, helping transform the mock combat from a seedy spectacle into family-friendly entertainment worth billions of dollars. A key moment in that evolution came at the WrestleMania III extravaganza in 1987, when Hogan hoisted fellow wrestler Andr+ the Giant before a sold-out Pontiac Silverdome in Michigan for a thunderous body slam of the Frenchman. Hogan parlayed his wrestling fame into a less successful career in Hollywood, starring in films like "Rocky III" and "Santa With Muscles", but kept returning to the ring as long as his body would allow. In 2024, he appeared at the Republican National Convention to endorse the presidential bid of Trump, who in the 1980s had played host to Hulk-headlined WrestleManias. Hogan said he made the decision to support the Republican candidate after seeing his combative, fist-pumping reaction to an attempted assassination on the campaign trail. "Let Trumpamania run wild, brother!" Hogan bellowed to a cheering crowd, ripping off his shirt to reveal a Trump tank top. "Let Trumpamania rule again!" Born Terry Gene Bollea in Augusta, Georgia, on 11 August, 1953, the future Hulk and his family soon moved to the Tampa, Florida area. After high school, he played bass guitar for area rock bands, but felt a pull to the red-hot wrestling scene in Florida in the 1970s. Many of the details of his career were showbusiness exaggerations, representative of the blurred lines between fact and fiction in wrestling. His first trainer reportedly broke Hogan's leg to dissuade him from entering the business, but he kept at wrestling, weight training, and - he later admitted - anabolic steroids. He gained in notoriety as his biceps turned into what he dubbed the "24-inch pythons". The "Hulk" moniker came from comparisons to the comic-book hero portrayed on TV at the time. He would end up paying royalties to Marvel Comics for years. "Hogan" was the invention of promoter Vincent J McMahon, the owner of the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), who wanted Irish representation among his stable of stars. His appearance as wrestler Thunderlips in "Rocky III", where he dwarfed leading man Sylvester Stallone, rocketed Hogan to the mainstream. Upon a return to the WWF, now controlled by McMahon's son Vincent K, he defeated the Iron Sheik in 1984 to claim the world championship, a belt he would hold for four years. Hogan became a household name, appearing on the cover of magazine Sports Illustrated and performing alongside pop culture stars like Mr T. The WWF came to dominate wrestling, anchored by its annual WrestleMania pay-per-view events. Later, he joined competitor World Championship Wrestling, swapping his trademark yellow tights for black and taking on a persona as the villainous "Hollywood" Hogan, the head of a gang of rulebreakers known as the New World Order. The gimmick reinvigorated his career. Hogan eventually returned to the WWF, now known as WWE, and faced Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson at WrestleMania in 2002. "I'm in better shape than him," Hogan told Reuters at the time, five months shy of his 50th birthday. "I'll stand next to The Rock and pose down with him if he wants to." The Rock ultimately won the match. Hogan was inducted twice into the WWE Hall of Fame, and referred to himself as the "Babe Ruth" of wrestling - after the New York Yankees' famed baseball player. But Hogan's support of Trump in 2024 did not go down well with all wrestling fans, and he also faced other controversies. Gossip website Gawker was shuttered after it posted parts of a sex tape between him and a friend's wife and Hogan sued on privacy grounds , winning a $140 million judgment. In 2015, he was suspended by the WWE after another surreptitious recording revealed that Hogan had used a racial slur. He was reinstated in 2018. He was married three times and had two children, who starred alongside him and first wife Linda in a 2005-2007 reality TV show, "Hogan Knows Best". - Reuters