Fraudulent apology from CEO caught having affair at Coldplay gig goes viral
After a kiss cam during a Coldplay show exposed the alleged affair between a software company CEO and his head of HR, a fraudulent apology statement has gone viral and has forced his team to deem it a fake.
At the Boston show, the camera focused on Andy Byron, CEO of tech company Astronomer, and Kristin Cabot, his Head of People, in an embrace. “Either they’re having an affair, or they’re very shy,” Coldplay frontman Chris Martin commented as they both frightfully ducked when they spotted themselves.
The camera then pivoted to the only person who had not turned her back, allegedly Alyssa Stoddard. She was recently appointed Vice President of People on Kristin’s team at the same company.
Since this clip went viral on the internet, pulling in hundreds of millions of views across different platforms, an apology statement from Byron began circulating online.
The fraudulent statement began: “I want to acknowledge the moment that’s been circulating online, and the disappointment it’s caused. What was supposed to be a night of music and joy turned into a deeply personal mistake playing out on a very public stage.”
It added a “sincere” apology to his wife, his family, and the team at Astronomer. “You deserve better from me as a partner, as a father, and as a leader.”
The writer of the fake message assured readers he was now taking the time to reflect, “take accountability” for his actions, and “figure out the next steps, personally and professionally.” He asked for privacy while navigating the situation.
It continued, “I also want to express how troubling it is that what should have been a private moment became public without my consent. I respect artists and entertainers, but I hope we can all think more deeply about the impact of turning someone else’s life into a spectacle.”
Turning finally to Coldplay lyrics from their heartbreaking ballad ‘Fix You’ to finish off the fraudulent letter, it concluded, “As a friend once sang: ‘Lights will guide you home, and ignite your bones, and I will try to fix you.'”
The post was originally shared by X account @PeterEnisCBS, a now-suspended parody account which is no longer accessible. Fake news warning are attached to any other iteration of the statement on X.
Astronomer’s Director of Communications Taylor Jones told Men’s Journal that this is “not a real statement.” Despite the account on X clearly stating that it is a parody page, many media outlets, such as The Mirror and Consequence, posted the story.
According to the company’s LinkedIn page, Byron has been CEO of Astronomer, the New York City-based data orchestration platform that “empowers data teams to bring mission-critical analytics, AI, and software to life” since 2023. Cabot joined the team nine months ago.
Reportedly, Byron’s wife also removed his last name from her Facebook page, not 24 hours after the incident went viral. Both Byron and Cabot are married with children.
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