On 16 July 2025, Andy Byron and Kristin Cabot attended a Coldplay concert in Boston, where they were caught on the kiss cam cuddling and then jumping apart in horror. The clip went viral, sparking months of public intrigue and parody.
Byron, then CEO of software company Astronomer, and Cabot, head of HR, became targets of online mockery. The Philadelphia Phillies mascot parodied the moment, and Stephen Colbert incorporated Donald Trump into the meme. Strictly Come Dancing also referenced it in October.
Brands jumped on the trend: Duolingo Germany posted a denial guide, Ikea Singapore shared a cuddling toy photo, Nando's Australia ran a promo with code COLDPLAY, and the New York Department of Sanitation used the video in a trash dumping PSA.
Byron resigned from Astronomer and sold his $5.8m Manhattan apartment, with reports suggesting he remains with his wife. Cabot received hundreds of calls daily and death threats, but reiterated she had separated from her husband weeks before the concert.
