'They Made Me A Meme': Ex-Astronomer CEO Andy Byron To Sue Coldplay Over 'Emotional Distress'
For a defamation claim to hold, Byron would have to prove 'that there wasn't an affair.' As of now, Coldplay hasn't reacted to that.
Former Astronomer CEO Andy Byron has been in headlines for quite some time now. A kiss cam moment at a Coldplay concert not only made him an internet sensation but also affected his personal and professional life on a major level. Now, Byron is reportedly considering suing Coldplay over his viral video.
Several media reports claim that he is planning to file a lawsuit against Coldplay and the event organisers. The reason cited is 'emotional distress" and 'invasion of privacy."
A source close to Byron told Page Six, 'He didn't consent to being filmed or publicly humiliated. He thinks Coldplay made him a meme."
Attorney Camron Dowlatshahi from MSD Lawyers shared his perspective on the legal potential of the case. Dowlatshahi told Page Six, 'If we are getting creative, a possible claim would be for defamation, specifically as it relates to Chris Martin characterising the two as having an 'affair.'"
Dowlatshahi noted that for a defamation claim to hold, Byron would have to prove 'that there wasn't an affair." As of now, Coldplay hasn't released an official statement. However, according to Rob Shuter's ShuterScoop, sources said Chris Martin 'laughed out loud" at the idea of being sued over a kiss cam moment.
Legal experts call filing a lawsuit a 'long shot".
'At a public concert with cameras and 70,000 people, your expectation of privacy is near zero. It sounds like he's trying to shift blame," one attorney told Page Six.
What's The Case?
During Coldplay's July 16, 2025, concert at Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts, their kiss cam spotlighted Andy Byron, the CEO of tech firm Astronomer, alongside the company's Chief People Officer, Kristin Cabot. As they appeared uncomfortable and fled the frame, frontman Chris Martin quipped, 'Either they're having an affair or they're just very shy," sparking viral attention across social media platforms.
The duo had to face massive backlash online, and Astronomer immediately placed both Byron and Cabot on leave and initiated an internal investigation into the incident. On July 19, Byron resigned from his role as CEO; Cabot resigned shortly afterwards, on July 24.
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