How one Coldplay fan turned a 30-second video into a 'fortune', and took down a CEO and CPO

Economic Times

5 days ago

A 30-second Coldplay concert video filmed by Grace Springer exposed a tech CEO's affair, leading to his resignation. Springer discussed the aftermath during a TV interview, revealing she earned no money. The clip went viral, sparking headlines and memes, while changing the careers of two senior executives at Astronomer.
Tired of too many ads?
Remove Ads
Coldplay Concert Video Goes Viral
Coldplay Concert Viral Video Backlash and Resignations
Tired of too many ads?
Remove Ads
Coldplay Concert Viral Video Filmer Grace Springer Speaks Publicly
No Regrets about Sharing the Clip
Video Changed Careers but not Springer's Finances
Tired of too many ads?
Remove Ads
FAQs
The woman who posted the video, Grace Springer , finally shared her side of the story. The video led to the resignation of Astronomer CEO Andy Byron . It also brought intense public attention to the company's Chief People Officer Kristin Cabot Grace Springer, a 28-year-old Coldplay fan, was attending the band's concert at Gillette Stadium. During the show, the stadium kiss cam captured a couple getting close. Frontman Chris Martin joked, 'Either they're having an affair, or they're just very shy.'Springer filmed the moment and later posted it on TikTok. The video went viral. Viewers online quickly identified the couple as Andy Byron, CEO of tech company Astronomer, and Kristin Cabot, the company's Chief People Officer.The internet responded immediately. Viewers pointed out that both Byron and Cabot were married to other people. The situation escalated quickly. Byron was placed on leave, and the company started a formal internal investigation.Shortly afterward, Byron resigned from his role as CEO. The video and its widespread reach caused public relations issues for the company.On July 21, Grace Springer appeared on the UK show This Morning. She discussed her experience after the video went viral. Springer said she did not expect it to gain so much attention.She clarified that she earned no money from the video. 'I've actually made no money from the video itself or the views,' Springer said. 'It's not monetized.'Springer said she never intended to create a scandal. She mentioned there were over 50,000 people at the concert. Many attendees were recording. She added, 'If it wasn't me who uploaded it, I'm sure someone else would have.'Springer expressed concern for the people affected by the video. 'I definitely feel for Andy's wife, Megan,' she said. However, she has no regrets about posting the video.The short clip resulted in major consequences for Byron and Cabot. Both faced public and professional fallout. However, Springer did not benefit financially. Despite millions of views and worldwide attention, the viral video earned her no income.She explained that the TikTok was not monetized. Although it brought her brief fame, it did not improve her financial status.Did Grace Springer earn any money from the viral Coldplay video No, she said the video was not monetized and she did not make any money from the millions of views it received.What happened to the CEO in the Coldplay video?Andy Byron, CEO of Astronomer, resigned from his position after the video exposed him and a company executive at the concert.