We've all dated a guy who could ruin Coldplay for you
We've all got one.
That one song, that one band, that one album that now tastes like heartbreak. Maybe it was playing in the background when he broke up with you. Maybe it was your song - the one he sang in the car with his whole chest before he blew up your life. Or maybe it was Coldplay.
For the wife of Andy Byron - the tech CEO now going viral after appearing on the Coldplay kiss cam with his alleged HR-chief mistress - it's going to be Coldplay. Forever.
And that's not just cruel. That's psychological warfare.
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A tech CEO was busted on the kiss cam with his HR exec mistress. Image: TikTok/@instaagraace
The kiss cam moment that blew up the internet
Last week, at a Coldplay concert in Boston, the band's kiss cam panned to a couple cuddling in the crowd. As the audience cooed and Chris Martin smiled, the man - later identified as Byron - ducked out of view like a panicked meerkat while the woman beside him, HR executive Kristin Cabot, frantically turned away and shielded her face.
From the stage, Chris Martin joked, 'Either they're having an affair or they're just very shy.'
Turns out, it was the former.
TikTok detectives quickly linked the couple to a billion-dollar AI company called Astronomer, where Byron is CEO and Cabot is his HR hire. Since then, their names have been blasted across headlines and hashtags, dissected on Reddit threads, and framed in reaction memes like a tech-industry telenovela.
Internet users pointed out that Byron's wife quietly removed her married name from social media. Her Facebook was eventually deleted altogether - presumably to avoid the thousands of comments flooding in from strangers watching her marriage unravel in real time.
The wife didn't just lose her husband - she lost her soundtrack
The internet is having a field day. And yes, from a distance, it's deliciously messy. The kiss cam. The cringey scramble. The 'f***ing hell, it's me' vibe of the footage. If the goal was to cheat discreetly, attending a concert with literal stadium-wide cameras was… bold.
But here's the thing: behind the LOLs and the gossip and the Chrissy Teigen-level memes is a woman. A wife. Possibly a mother. And she's now the unwitting protagonist of a viral cheating saga, her life detonated in surround sound.
And it wasn't just detonated. It was scored.
With Coldplay.
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Coldplay is everywhere - supermarkets, lifts, hold music. Image: Instgram/Coldplay
You can't escape Coldplay - and now she can't escape the pain
This is the part that gets me - the music. Because Coldplay isn't niche. It's not like her ex ruined an obscure Swedish doom-metal band. Coldplay is everywhere. It's in supermarkets, shopping centres, airport lounges, elevators, hold music. You can't even watch a rom-com trailer without Fix You or The Scientist playing behind a montage of heartbreak and rain.
Every time this woman goes to buy groceries, or waits on hold to cancel a joint phone plan, or orders a cab that's tuned into Smooth FM, there's a solid chance Chris Martin will be there, whisper-singing directly to her trauma.
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From the stage, Martin joked, 'Either they're having an affair or they're just very shy.' Image: Instagram/Coldplay
Music is memory - and heartbreak has a playlist
That's the thing about music and memory - they attach themselves to each other. Songs are time capsules. Emotional landmines. And when a betrayal happens in stereo, you don't just lose your partner. You lose your playlists.
There's something especially brutal about discovering your husband is cheating via jumbotron. But what breaks me is the thought of this woman turning on the radio and being gut-punched by Clocks.
Because we've all been there. Maybe not at the scale of a viral tech scandal, but we've all had someone ruin a song. A cafe. A park bench. A scent. A suburb. Love has a way of soaking into the fibres of everyday life - and when it's ripped away, those fibres turn to razor wire.
She didn't ask for this spotlight
Right now, this woman is probably living in shock. She's probably fielding calls and deleting apps and wondering if anyone's told the kids. She's not laughing at the kiss cam. She's not scrolling TikTok for takes. She's staring at a house that feels different now. At a man she doesn't recognise. At a future she didn't see coming.
And while the world jokes about mistresses and HR policies and bad life choices scored by soft rock, she's in mourning. Not just for her marriage - but for everything that used to feel safe. Including Coldplay.
From viral gossip to a personal tragedy
So yes, we're all laughing at the kiss cam couple. But maybe - quietly, tenderly - we could also spare a thought for the woman whose heart just broke in four million pixels. The woman who didn't ask to be part of the show. The woman who'll never be able to hear Yellow again without feeling sick.
Because we've all dated a guy who could ruin Coldplay for you. And once they do, there's no getting it back.
Originally published as We've all dated a guy who could ruin Coldplay for you

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The Advertiser
3 hours ago
- The Advertiser
HR exec on Coldplay cam resigns after viral embrace
The executive who was caught on camera embracing the CEO of her company at a Coldplay concert in a moment that went viral has resigned. The company, Astronomer, confirmed that its executive in charge of human resources has left. "Kristin Cabot is no longer with Astronomer, she has resigned," spokesman Taylor Jones said in a brief statement. Her departure follows the resignation of CEO Andy Byron, who quit after the company said he was being put on leave pending an investigation. The episode resulted in endless memes, parody videos and screenshots of the pair's shocked faces filling social media feeds. Cabot and Byron were caught by surprise when singer Chris Martin asked the cameras to scan the crowd for his "Jumbotron Song" during the concert last week at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. They were shown cuddling and smiling, but when they saw themselves on the big screen, Cabot's jaw dropped, her hands flew to her face and she spun away from the camera while Byron ducked out of the frame. "Either they're having an affair or they're just very shy," Martin joked in video that spread quickly around the internet. When the video first spread online it wasn't immediately clear who they were, but online sleuths rapidly figured out their identities. The company has previously confirmed the identities of the couple in a statement to the AP. Both of their profiles have now been removed from Astronomer's website, and a November press release announcing her hiring has also been deleted. Astronomer was a previously obscure tech company based in New York. It provides big companies with a platform that helps them organise their data. Online streams of Coldplay's songs jumped 20 per cent in the days after the video went viral, according to Luminate, an industry data and analytics company. The executive who was caught on camera embracing the CEO of her company at a Coldplay concert in a moment that went viral has resigned. The company, Astronomer, confirmed that its executive in charge of human resources has left. "Kristin Cabot is no longer with Astronomer, she has resigned," spokesman Taylor Jones said in a brief statement. Her departure follows the resignation of CEO Andy Byron, who quit after the company said he was being put on leave pending an investigation. The episode resulted in endless memes, parody videos and screenshots of the pair's shocked faces filling social media feeds. Cabot and Byron were caught by surprise when singer Chris Martin asked the cameras to scan the crowd for his "Jumbotron Song" during the concert last week at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. They were shown cuddling and smiling, but when they saw themselves on the big screen, Cabot's jaw dropped, her hands flew to her face and she spun away from the camera while Byron ducked out of the frame. "Either they're having an affair or they're just very shy," Martin joked in video that spread quickly around the internet. When the video first spread online it wasn't immediately clear who they were, but online sleuths rapidly figured out their identities. The company has previously confirmed the identities of the couple in a statement to the AP. Both of their profiles have now been removed from Astronomer's website, and a November press release announcing her hiring has also been deleted. Astronomer was a previously obscure tech company based in New York. It provides big companies with a platform that helps them organise their data. Online streams of Coldplay's songs jumped 20 per cent in the days after the video went viral, according to Luminate, an industry data and analytics company. The executive who was caught on camera embracing the CEO of her company at a Coldplay concert in a moment that went viral has resigned. The company, Astronomer, confirmed that its executive in charge of human resources has left. "Kristin Cabot is no longer with Astronomer, she has resigned," spokesman Taylor Jones said in a brief statement. Her departure follows the resignation of CEO Andy Byron, who quit after the company said he was being put on leave pending an investigation. The episode resulted in endless memes, parody videos and screenshots of the pair's shocked faces filling social media feeds. Cabot and Byron were caught by surprise when singer Chris Martin asked the cameras to scan the crowd for his "Jumbotron Song" during the concert last week at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. They were shown cuddling and smiling, but when they saw themselves on the big screen, Cabot's jaw dropped, her hands flew to her face and she spun away from the camera while Byron ducked out of the frame. "Either they're having an affair or they're just very shy," Martin joked in video that spread quickly around the internet. When the video first spread online it wasn't immediately clear who they were, but online sleuths rapidly figured out their identities. The company has previously confirmed the identities of the couple in a statement to the AP. Both of their profiles have now been removed from Astronomer's website, and a November press release announcing her hiring has also been deleted. Astronomer was a previously obscure tech company based in New York. It provides big companies with a platform that helps them organise their data. Online streams of Coldplay's songs jumped 20 per cent in the days after the video went viral, according to Luminate, an industry data and analytics company. The executive who was caught on camera embracing the CEO of her company at a Coldplay concert in a moment that went viral has resigned. The company, Astronomer, confirmed that its executive in charge of human resources has left. "Kristin Cabot is no longer with Astronomer, she has resigned," spokesman Taylor Jones said in a brief statement. Her departure follows the resignation of CEO Andy Byron, who quit after the company said he was being put on leave pending an investigation. The episode resulted in endless memes, parody videos and screenshots of the pair's shocked faces filling social media feeds. Cabot and Byron were caught by surprise when singer Chris Martin asked the cameras to scan the crowd for his "Jumbotron Song" during the concert last week at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. They were shown cuddling and smiling, but when they saw themselves on the big screen, Cabot's jaw dropped, her hands flew to her face and she spun away from the camera while Byron ducked out of the frame. "Either they're having an affair or they're just very shy," Martin joked in video that spread quickly around the internet. When the video first spread online it wasn't immediately clear who they were, but online sleuths rapidly figured out their identities. The company has previously confirmed the identities of the couple in a statement to the AP. Both of their profiles have now been removed from Astronomer's website, and a November press release announcing her hiring has also been deleted. Astronomer was a previously obscure tech company based in New York. It provides big companies with a platform that helps them organise their data. Online streams of Coldplay's songs jumped 20 per cent in the days after the video went viral, according to Luminate, an industry data and analytics company.


Perth Now
9 hours ago
- Perth Now
Meet the Aussie duo rewiring comedy
In early 2020, appearing on the YouTube interview show Hot Ones, legendary comedian Will Ferrell mused on the future of comedy. Comedy clubs were back then and are now a shadow of their former selves and mere days ago CBS announced the cancellation of The Late Night Show with Stephen Colbert after 33 years on air, 10 of those with Colbert as host. But laughs aren't dead, they're just online now. Social media is proving the new frontier for comedians looking to cut their teeth, allowing budding comics to record sketches, develop characters and grow a platform without the aid of more traditional pathways. Half the world away from that Ferrell interview, comedy duo Swag on the Beat started life in a Melbourne supermarket after an innocent one-take video poking fun at Covid supermarket etiquette gathered almost 30,000 views. Melbourne duo Swag On The Beat made up of Isaac Gibbons and Jack Say. David Crosling Credit: News Corp Australia Today, the duo – made up of Jack Say, 28, and Isaac Gibbons, 29 – have amassed more than 3.3 million followers across Instagram, TikTok and Facebook. Having recently completed a live show tour around Australia, New Zealand and England, Say and Gibbons agreed with Ferrell's assessment that there was no substitute for honing a comedian's craft quite like performing in front of a crowd. However, they argued the nature of social media management meant nowadays comics needed to be a 'jack of all trades'. 'It was an amazing cutting of the teeth moment for us,' Say told NewsWire. 'We learned so much about live audiences, but it feels like now – you hear musicians talk about it as well – not only do you have to 'make the music', but you have to be the advertiser and you have to do all the social media stuff that comes along with it. 'It feels like you almost have to be a jack of all trades and to service each platform with what it requires in order to have a grip in the industry.' The boys just reached one million followers on Instagram alone. David Crosling Credit: News Corp Australia Continuing the aspiration of multi-platform mastery, the duo have cracked into the podcast space. It's a dangerous time to make the move. Internet commentators have complained the market is now so over-saturated that the sale of podcasting equipment ought to be restricted or banned. The boys, however, are finding the change of pace a welcome return to the ad lib comedy style of their younger years. 'Speaking for myself, I wasn't a huge podcast guy, so I guess I was always astounded by the amount of podcasts out there that have strong listenership,' Gibbons said. 'Obviously, it's a growing platform and there's people that listen to all kinds of content. And I think rather than talking other people down or focusing on how types of podcasts that don't deserve listeners, get listeners, maybe it's worth acknowledging that there's all kinds of listeners for different types of content and trying to tap into that, appreciate that everyone listens to different stuff and try to make something that can appeal to a lot of people.' Making content that is appealing to a wide spate of people is no easy task in the modern world and it's something that Say and Gibbons have made pains to improve on in recent years. 'We were talking about this earlier today actually. Something we've crystallised since the start of Swag and we're getting closer and closer to is being able to provide content that anyone can listen to,' Say said. Comedy legend Barry Humphries is among the boys' role models. Openart AI Credit: Supplied 'If you're 15 or 75, we would like to create stuff that anyone can enjoy, anyone can palate. 'While being fresh and interesting is kind of the goal for us, we don't want to exclude any group or person or people from our stuff. 'It's that classic line from when they wrote the Mr. Bean TV show. 'If a joke couldn't be understood by people in Egypt, then it didn't get in'. He's on the extreme level where he didn't even speak, but we're sort of taking a leaf out of that book, which is: Does this allow everyone who can hear and watch our stuff the chance to enjoy it? 'There's only so much you can do as two guys, but we feel like we're getting better at dividing our time and energy up into multiple parts of the industry, which feels like an essential thing.' It's difficult to put your finger on Australian comedy in the same way you can identify dry British humour or brazen American comedies, and the nature of social media skits as an emerging form of content means prospective filmers may lack the comic role models of other mediums. However the boys cast the net wide and believe the vagueness offers an opportunity to cherry pick and aspire to the best. 'We're big fans of Chris Lilly, everything done by Chris Lilly,' Gibbons said. Australian icon in Chris Lilley as Jonah Takalua. Supplied Credit: Supplied 'I love the character comedy and the way he can very convincingly play all different types of characters. Sacha Baron Cohen as well. 'I think the Godfather of Australian comedy, Barry Humphries, is of course iconic. Flight of the Concords is a duo who has a hilarious dynamic and incorporates music which we try to do as well.' '(American and British humour) both are incredible, but I suppose beyond personal preference of the comedy styles, as Australia does in many other ways, we sort of take little bits of longstanding cultures that we like and try and incorporate them into our own things,' Say added. 'Maybe there's a bit of that going on that is forming the Australian comedy style.' The duo has partnered with KitKat to release a line of Commuter Camouflage Hoodies and are celebrating reaching one million followers on Instagram by throwing a party at the Railway Hotel in Brunswick on Saturday, August 30, announcing a secret project they've 'been working on for months'.

Sky News AU
11 hours ago
- Sky News AU
Gwyneth Paltrow hired on 'temporary basis' to speak on behalf of company after CEO's viral cheating moment at Coldplay concert
Gwyneth Paltrow has appeared in a hilarious cameo speaking on behalf of Astronomer, with the company caught in a PR disaster after its CEO and his alleged mistress was busted cosying up at a Coldplay concert. Astronomer chief Andy Byron had his arms wrapped around the chest of fellow colleague Kristin Cabot at the British band's tour in Boston, Massachusetts on July 16. The alleged tryst was filmed by Coldplay fan Grace Springer and shared to TikTok where it has been seen close to 70 million times, with many news stories already written. Chris Martin, who is Paltrow's ex-husband and father to her two children, joked to the crowd that the couple were "either having an affair or just very shy" as thousands of other concert-goers laughed and cheered. On Saturday, Astronomer published a video to their LinkedIn page in which Paltrow appeared as a ''temporary spokesperson'' to answer some questions, marking a surprise PR move by the company as it continues to become entangled in a media storm. The actress, wearing a blue shirt, started her cameo by saying: ''Thank you for your interest in Astronomer. Hi, I'm Gwyneth Paltrow," as corporate music blissfully played in the background. ''I've been hired on a very temporary basis to speak on behalf of the 300 plus employees at Astronomer. ''Astronomer has got a lot of questions in the last few days, and they wanted me to answer the most common ones.'' The first question which appeared on the screen read: ''Q: OMG! What the actual f**k'' the text begins, before it abruptly cuts off with Paltrow reappearing. Paltrow then replies: ''Yes! Astronomer is the best place to run Apache Airflow.'' ''We've been thrilled to see so many people suddenly interested in data workflow automation," she continues applying light sarcasm. ''As for the other questions we've received…'' A second question then appears on the screen: ''How is your social media team holding..'' Paltrow responds: ''Yes! There is still space available at our Beyond Analytics event this September! ''And now, we'll return to doing what we do best... delivering game-changing results for our customers. Thank you for your interest in Astronomer.'' The post has garnered the attention of hundreds of LinkedIn users who headed to the comments to share their support and applaud the ''boss move'' by Astronomer's media team. ''Absolutely brilliant, Leo Zheng and team - just brilliant,'' one LinkedIn user commented. ''Phenomenal work, Leo Zheng,'' wrote another. ''Leo Zheng: mic drop,'' a third wrote. ''A clever way to reach your audience - unexpected, but memorable,'' a user critiqued the video. ''Though, to be honest, the question and answer felt like they were on entirely different airflows.'' The company previously said on LinkedIn that Mr Byron is under formal investigation over his alleged cheating scandal involving Astronomer's chief human resources officer. "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," it said. "The Board of Directors has initiated a formal investigation into this matter and we will have additional details to share very shortly." Both Byron and Cabot have quit their jobs at the tech company following the scandal.