As we all vie for a distraction from the world’s woes, an alleged affair exposed via the Jumbotron at a Coldplay concert has become the meme of the summer.
Over the past week, the internet has been reveling in poking fun at a viral clip from the band’s sold-out gig at Gillette Stadium outside Boston. The footage, taken during the concert’s “kiss cam segment,” seems to have unshrouded a possible extramarital rendezvous between Andy Byron, the chief executive officer of New York-based data firm Astronomer, and Kristin Cabot, the head of the company’s HR department — at least based on the couple’s embarrassed reaction when the camera panned over to them. Immediately, Cabot covers her face and turns around; Byron simply ducks down out of the frame.
“Either they’re having an affair or they’re just very shy,” lead singer Chris Martin said uneasily into the microphone.
Two days after the incident, Astronomer announced Byron had been placed on leave, and one day later, he had “tendered his resignation.” Cabot, who sits on the company’s board of directors, has also removed her LinkedIn profile. Coldplay has now begun issuing friendly warnings to concertgoers about the Jumbotron.
Sure, it’s a reminder that we live in a constant surveillance state, but it’s also chef’s kiss-level meme fodder, yielding everything from recreations of Edvard Munch’s The Scream (1893) and new interpretations of Greek antiquity to a resurgence of years-old viral moments. People are comparing the caught canoodlers to other scandalous pairings, from Fleetwood Mac lead vocalists Stevie Nicks and Lindsay Buckingham to … yes, Vice President JD Vance and his couch.
Many online jokes center on the relationship between convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and President Donald Trump, which has been under intensifying scrutiny amid his administration’s alleged mismanagement of the so-called Epstein files. Others have focused on speculations that Katie Miller, the wife of White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, is having a romance with billionaire Tesla CEO Elon Musk after she followed Musk’s departure from the White House.
Others have drawn connections between the incident and other meme-ified events involving the downfall of wealthy corporate executives, from the suspicious string of orca yacht attacks in 2023 to the catastrophic implosion of the OceanGate submersible.
Thankfully, it’s not all so morbid. There’s plenty of light-hearted jokes drawing comparisons to Tony Soprano’s ceaseless infidelity, Carrie Bradshaw’s annoying romance with Mr. Big, and an imagined romance between Elmo and Miss Piggy — proving that “Coldplaygate” really lends itself to anything. One labor group from the United Kingdom even seized the moment as an opportunity to spread their union message.
The moment, which has been immortalized in everything from crochet art to painting, has also become a popular reenactment across sports stadiums and even spawned a free computer game called Coldplay Canoodlers. The point-and-click game created by songwriter Jonathan Mann invites users to search the stadium’s 65,000 audience members for Cabot and Byron. Because, as we can all probably agree, Where’s Waldo? is way too wholesome for 2025.
Below, we’ve rounded up some of the best of this unexpected but extremely delightful viral treat. Bon appétit!
