Coldplay could be sued after kiss cam stunt drags Andy Byron into spotlight
During a recent Coldplay concert near Boston, frontman Chris Martin commented on the couple caught on the jumbotron, joking, 'Either they're having an affair or they're just very shy.' The comment, caught on video, ignited public backlash. Byron, who has since resigned, has remained silent, as has Cabot — both of whom are married.
Attorney Camron Dowlatshahi of MSD Lawyers told Page Six that Byron might attempt a defamation claim, but he would have to prove Martin's statement was false and made with malice — both unlikely to hold in court. 'None of those elements will be met,' Dowlatshahi said, calling any lawsuit 'frivolous.'
Further complicating matters, Massachusetts' two-party consent law does not apply in this context. Legal experts note that Byron had no expectation of privacy at a public event and likely waived related rights by purchasing a concert ticket.
Byron also cannot sue TikTok user Grace Springer, whose video of the incident has amassed over 125 million views. Lawyers argue her post is protected under the First Amendment and doesn't commercialize Byron's likeness.
However, Kristin Cabot could potentially pursue a workplace harassment claim against Byron, given his senior role at Astronomer. Attorney Craig Weiner noted that the company could be held liable due to Byron's position of power.
Astronomer has publicly condemned the incident and accepted Byron's resignation following internal investigation.
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Former Astronomer CEO Andy Byron may be considering legal action against Coldplay after his kiss cam moment with colleague Kristin Cabot went viral — but legal experts say any such lawsuit would likely fail. During a recent Coldplay concert near Boston, frontman Chris Martin commented on the couple caught on the jumbotron, joking, 'Either they're having an affair or they're just very shy.' The comment, caught on video, ignited public backlash. Byron, who has since resigned, has remained silent, as has Cabot — both of whom are married. Attorney Camron Dowlatshahi of MSD Lawyers told Page Six that Byron might attempt a defamation claim, but he would have to prove Martin's statement was false and made with malice — both unlikely to hold in court. 'None of those elements will be met,' Dowlatshahi said, calling any lawsuit 'frivolous.' Further complicating matters, Massachusetts' two-party consent law does not apply in this context. Legal experts note that Byron had no expectation of privacy at a public event and likely waived related rights by purchasing a concert ticket. Byron also cannot sue TikTok user Grace Springer, whose video of the incident has amassed over 125 million views. Lawyers argue her post is protected under the First Amendment and doesn't commercialize Byron's likeness. However, Kristin Cabot could potentially pursue a workplace harassment claim against Byron, given his senior role at Astronomer. Attorney Craig Weiner noted that the company could be held liable due to Byron's position of power. Astronomer has publicly condemned the incident and accepted Byron's resignation following internal investigation.
