In a plot twist that no one—except maybe the writers of Succession—could have predicted, former Astronomer CEO Andy Byron is reportedly considering legal action against Coldplay after a viral kiss-cam moment at one of their concerts ruined his whole vibe (and also his job).

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The now-infamous incident occurred at Coldplay’s July 16th show at Gillette Stadium, where Byron and Astronomer’s Chief Human Resources Officer Kristin Cabot were spotted by the kiss-cam in what can only be described as the most awkward office hug in history. Chris Martin, the band’s lead singer and full-time emotional support guru, made a cheeky comment to the crowd:

“Either they’re having an affair or they’re just shy.”

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That one sentence instantly launched the clip into viral orbit—complete with memes, parodies, and the kind of internet speculation usually reserved for UFO sightings and Taylor Swift Easter eggs.

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Unfortunately for Byron, the fallout wasn’t just digital. The Astronomer board placed both him and Cabot on leave faster than you can say “company retreat,” and Byron resigned a few days later, presumably while muting every Coldplay song on Spotify.

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But here’s where it gets really spicy: Byron is now reportedly considering suing Coldplay and the concert organizers for emotional distress, invasion of privacy, and possibly defamation—aka, the legal equivalent of “it’s not my fault I got caught, your Honor, the vibes were off.”

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Legal experts, however, are already rolling their eyes. At a concert with 70,000 people, cameras everywhere, and disclaimers on the ticket that basically say “we can film you doing anything embarrassing,” privacy claims are… let’s just say optimistic. As for defamation? Byron would have to prove that the joke caused actual harm and that it wasn’t true. (Spoiler alert: no one’s denying anything yet.)

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Chris Martin, when asked about the potential lawsuit, reportedly laughed, proving once again that British people cope with chaos through gentle chuckling and emotional ballads. Meanwhile, Astronomer is doing some serious image rehab. In a genius PR move, they brought in Gwyneth Paltrow—yes, Chris Martin’s ex-wife—to appear in a new corporate video, reminding us that in 2025, we truly live in the weirdest timeline.

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Only time will tell if this lawsuit ever gets filed—or if Byron will just end up on Judge Judy: The Metaverse Edition. Until then, let this be a lesson to all CEOs: if you’re going to hug your HR director at a concert, maybe don’t do it on camera. And definitely not during “Yellow.”

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