#SHOWBIZ: Coldplay's Chris Martin offers concertgoers friendly warning before 'Jumbotron Song'
MADISON: Coldplay frontman Chris Martin lightened the mood at a recent concert, playfully warning attendees about their potential appearance on the big screen during the band's "Jumbotron Song."
The singer's humorous remarks come after a couple was caught in a compromising position on camera at a previous show, leading to significant real-world consequences for one individual.
According to CNN, at Saturday night's performance at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin, USA, Martin addressed the crowd, saying, "We'd like to say hello to some of you in the crowd. How we're going to do that is we're going to use our cameras and put some of you on the big screen."
He then jokingly added, "So, please, if you haven't done your makeup, do your makeup now," while strumming his acoustic guitar.
The jest directly references a viral moment from a Coldplay concert last week.
During the "Jumbotron Song," cameras focused on a man and woman embracing in the audience.
Upon realising they were on the giant screen, the two quickly separated and tried to conceal their faces.
According to social media clips of the incident, Martin quipped, "Whoa, look at these two. Either they're having an affair or they're just very shy."
The clip rapidly circulated online, leading internet users to identify the individuals as Andy Byron, CEO of tech company Astronomer, and Kristin Cabot, the company's chief people officer and head of its human resources department.
The fallout for Byron was swift and severe. Astronomer announced on Saturday that Byron has resigned from his position.
Pete DeJoy, the company's cofounder and chief product officer, has since been appointed as interim CEO.
An earlier statement posted on Astronomer's LinkedIn page on Friday addressed the situation, saying, "Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability."
The company's board of directors had also "initiated a formal investigation into this matter."
Coldplay has not yet issued a direct statement regarding the incident, which has spawned numerous memes and comedic videos across the internet.
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The Sun
5 hours ago
- The Sun
Love, lies and LED lights
FEAR the Jumbotron – once just a brand name, now a big-screen moment waiting to happen. It doesn't care if you are in love, in denial or deep in someone else's problems. It does not wait for backstory, disclaimers or context. One accidental close-up and bam – your private moment becomes public property, broadcast in full HD, with surround sound and 40,000 witnesses munching on popcorn. One minute you are feeling sweet – lost in the crowd, thinking no one is watching – and the next, your face is 10 feet tall, your arms are around someone suspiciously not your wife and the stadium is whispering, 'Eh, tu bukan isteri dia...' The Jumbotron is not your friend. It does not ask if that is your spouse. It does not pause to check your relationship status. It simply zooms, pans and exposes – and just like that you are the main star of a nationwide gossip fest. In today's world, where everyone is a part-time detective and gossip is a full-time sport, the Jumbotron is not just a screen; it is a trapdoor to public humiliation. If you are lucky, you will end up only as a meme. If not, God help you. Boom. Kantoi! And this is not just some local phenomenon. Even abroad, the Jumbotron has claimed its victims. At a Coldplay concert in the US, a couple got a little too mesra on screen – and let's just say the only fireworks that night were in HR's inbox. That is the power of one hug, one camera and way too much confidence in the shadows. Back home, our very own Encik Kantoi must have thought he had it all figured out – dim lighting, a distracted crowd, music blasting and romance in the air. Ideal conditions for a cheeky pelukan manja, right? Wrong. He underestimated the triple threat that awaits all public cuddlers in Malaysia: - An unfiltered Jumbotron; - Camera-happy strangers with no boundaries; and - A nation of netizens who never sleep – and never forget. These are not just fans; they are the mata rakyat. Always alert. Always suspicious. Always one screenshot away from launching a nationwide manhunt. Back in the day, if you want to curang, you had to put in real effort – multiple phones, airtight alibis, maybe even a fake outstation trip or an imaginary company retreat. For extra cover, you would pick a dim restaurant with no WiFi, no mirrors and preferably no surviving witnesses. Now? One careless hug under the wrong spotlight and suddenly you are trending on Twitter in a thread titled, 'Tu bukan wife dia, guys'. Within hours, Malaysians have the full report – his name, his wife's Instagram, the family's 2022 Langkawi trip, her throwback anniversary post, his daughter's school concert footage and, quite possibly, even the cat's TikTok account and favourite litter brand. The detective work was so next-level, someone probably dug up his SPM results and the email he sent to his ex back in 2008. Because if there is one thing Malaysia has more of than rain, it is semangat membawang. We don't need the FBI. We have got fibre optic broadband, overthinking and a national talent for piecing together random clues faster than an ustaz quoting hadiths during a ceramah. Naturally, the internet caught fire. Memes came fast. TikToks appeared instantly. One genius even posted a parody PSA: 'Sila pastikan pasangan anda sah di sisi agama dan undang-undang sebelum memeluk secara terbuka di khalayak ramai.' Then the moral brigade arrived. 'Tak malu ke peluk-peluk macam tu?' typed one account, whose bio read 'open-minded traveller vibes only', and who once posted a photo at the beach that made even the sand blush. As expected, calls to ban the Jumbotron followed because, obviously, the problem was not the hug, it was the camera that dared to expose it. Let's not get it twisted. Infidelity isn't new. Since the dawn of time, people have been warned: 'Jangan dekati zina.' There are verses, hadiths, khutbahs and now, Jumbotron footage. But getting caught in 4K, mid-hug and under stadium lighting, with Coldplay crooning 'Nobody said it was easy...' in the background? That is not cheating. That is a live broadcast of your downfall, with a stadium wave and LED graphics. It is like sneaking a kuih lapis during Ramadan: you might enjoy one layer but sooner or later, your sticky fingers will give you away. And, of course, the makciks delivered their verdict. 'That is why I don't let my kids go to concerts!' scolded one auntie in Subang, forwarding the video to her kuliah dhuha group chat. Mum, he hugged someone he shouldn't. Coldplay just provided the lighting and soundtrack. So, what have we learnt? - Lesson One: Don't cheat. - Lesson Two: If you absolutely must (again, please don't), do not do it in public, especially not in a stadium with massive screens, 360° cameras and Malaysians armed with opinions. - Lesson Three: Fear the Jumbotron with your whole heart. Because in Malaysia, you are never really alone. Someone is always watching – whether in the stands, on a livestream or through a pair of tinted bifocals, silently judging your every move. And once it is captured, it lives forever. Not just on the Jumbotron but on TikTok, Threads, Reddit, your surau noticeboard and even your niece's school group project titled 'Modern Moral Lessons'. It is 2025. Privacy is extinct. Scandals are inevitable. And the Jumbotron? That is your dosa kecil, now screening in full HD. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have got a potluck to attend. We are serving bihun goreng, air sirap and unsolicited opinions. Some people have Netflix. We have got 'Peluk Kantoi: Stadium Edition'. Pass the keropok, please. Azura Abas is the associate editor of theSun. Comments: letters@
New Straits Times
3 days ago
- New Straits Times
#SHOWBIZ: After Coldplay kiss-cam drama, Gwyneth Paltrow now 'face' for AI firm Astronomer
KUALA LUMPUR: US based AI startup Astronomer has enlisted Oscar-winning actress Gwyneth Paltrow as its "very temporary" spokesperson, just a week after a viral kiss-cam scandal involving two of its top executives drew widespread attention. Paltrow, who is also the ex-wife of Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, appeared in a one-minute video shared across the company's social media platforms, addressing the public on behalf of Astronomer's more than 300 employees. "I have been hired on a very temporary basis to speak on behalf of the 300-plus employees at Astronomer. "Astronomer has gotten a lot of questions over the last few days, and they wanted me to answer the most common ones," she said in the video. The Hollywood star, however, steered clear of addressing the incident involving former CEO Andy Byron and HR chief Kristin Cabot, who were seen embracing on a kiss-cam during a Coldplay concert at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts on July 16. Both Byron and Cabot, who were reportedly married to other people at the time, have since stepped down from their roles. Instead, Paltrow focused her scripted message on Astronomer's core business — promoting its data workflow and AI automation services. "Yes, Astronomer is the best place to run Apache Airflow, unifying the experience of running data, ML, and AI pipelines at scale. "We have been thrilled so many people have a newfound interest in data workflow automation." Responding to other queries — "How is your social media team holding up?" — Paltrow continued to avoid addressing the controversy directly, instead offering a wry smile before highlighting the company's upcoming Beyond Analytics event in September. "Yes, there is still room available at our Beyond Analytics event," she said. She closed the video by saying: "Thank you for your interest in Astronomer. We will now be going back to what we do best: delivering game-changing results to our customers." The unexpected celebrity cameo, delivered with Paltrow's trademark deadpan humour, appears to be part of Astronomer's effort to defuse the media frenzy and refocus attention on its business.
Malay Mail
3 days ago
- Malay Mail
After Coldplay exposed a cheating scandal in their company, Astronomer hires Chris Martin's wife (VIDEO)
NEW YORK, July 26 — Tech company Astronomer suddenly became famous overnight after a cheating fiasco at a Coldplay concert. Astronomer's CEO Andy Byron and HR head Kristin Cabot have resigned after being quite literally being put under the spotlight at Coldplay's Boston stop. Frontman Chris Martin joked at seeing the couple's reaction, 'Either they're having an affair or they're just very shy,' not knowing that he was very much correct. In a strange turn of events, Astronomer has hired Martin's ex-wife Gwyneth Paltrow as a temporary spokesperson. Paltrow said in a clip uploaded by Astronomer today: 'Thank you for your interest in Astronomer. I've been hired on a very temporary basis to speak on behalf of the 300-plus employees at Astronomer.' Astronomer uploads new video with Gwyneth Paltrow, ex-wife of Coldplay's Chris Martin, answering questions as a temporary spokesperson. July 26, 2025 While Paltrow did not actually answer questions pertaining to the scandal instead thanking viewers for their interest in the company and 'data workflow automation', it was an ingenious way of giving the company some much-needed positive PR.
