Astronomer slams ‘fake' Andy Byron apology after CEO caught in Coldplay ‘kiss cam' scandal
New York-based AI firm Astronomer told The Post that the statement circulating on social media – which claimed to be written by Byron himself with intimate apologies to his wife and children – is 'fake.'
The imposter statement took a somber tone but ended with a cheesy nod to Coldplay's 2005 hit 'Fix You': 'As a friend once sang: 'Lights will guide you home, and ignite your bones, and I will try to fix you.''
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4 Astronomer CEO Andy Byron and head of HR Kristin Cabot at the Coldplay concert.
Grace Springer via Storyful
4 The faux statement quickly gained traction online.
Neither Byron nor Kristin Cabot, the company's chief human resources officer, have spoken publicly about the Coldplay scandal – when they were caught in a loving embrace on the concert 'kiss cam.'
Byron quite literally ducked out of frame while Cabot covered her face and turned around, putting her back toward the camera.
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Chris Martin, the band's frontman, initially thought the camera had found a sweet moment, saying: 'Look at these two.'
But their panicked reaction soon had him speculating on a much less savory situation.
'Oh, what?' Martin can be heard saying on stage in a TikTok video that has racked up more than 50 million views and over 5 million likes.
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'Either they're having an affair or they're just very shy,' Martin quipped.
The faux statement posted late Thursday quickly gained traction on social media, with many users tearing into the fake Byron.
'I also want to express how troubling it is that what should have been a private moment became public without my consent,' the forged statement said.
'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.'
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4 Andy Byron ducked down while Kristin Cabot turned her back toward the camera.
Grace Springer via Storyful
4 Cabot serves as chief people officer at Astronomer.
Astronomer
A social media user on X pointed out fishy behavior from the account that posted the so-called statement.
'The 'statement from Astronomer CEO Andy Byron' that's going around originated with a 50-follower account called 'Peter Enis.' As in 'P. Enis,'' the user wrote.
That account had included 'CBS News' in its username, seemingly trying to pose as a reporter for the Tiffany Network.
The company has not posted on its social media accounts since the scandal made headlines on Wednesday.
Astronomer did not respond to inquiries about whether it was planning to issue a statement on the matter.
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Caught on the jumbotron: How literature helps us understand modern-day public shaming
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Literary tradition offers some insight: intimate betrayal is never truly private. It shatters an implicit social contract, demanding communal scrutiny to restore trust. When trust crumbles publicly French philosopher Paul Ricoeur's notion of 'narrative identity' suggests we make sense of our lives as unfolding stories. The promises we make (and break) become chapters of identity and the basis of others' trust. Betrayal ruptures the framework that stitches private vows to public roles; without that stitch, trust frays. Byron's stadium exposure turned a marital vow into a proxy for professional integrity. Public betrayal magnifies public outcry because leaders symbolize stability; their personal failings inevitably reflect on their institutions. When Astronomer's board stated the expected standard 'was not met,' they were lamenting the collapse of Byron's narrative integrity — and, by extension, their company's. This idea — that private morality underpins public order — is hardly new. 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