Two fake apology statements are being falsely attributed to Andy Byron, CEO of tech company Astronomer, after a video of him ducking while cuddling a woman at a Coldplay concert went viral.
The apology letter surfaced after an intimate moment turned awkward at the concert in Massachusetts, USA when a 'kiss-cam' rested on a couple for a few seconds. As the camera lingered, the man abruptly ducked out of view while the woman turned away to hide her face prompting Coldplay's Chris Martin to joke, “Either they’re having an affair or they’re just very shy.” Social media users soon identified the pair as Byron and Astronomer’s chief people officer, Kristin Cabot.
The Claim: Statements Issued By Astronomer's CEO Andy Byron
The first viral statement attributed to Byron begins with, “I want to address the moment that’s been widely shared online and the disappointment it has caused,” and continues, “What was meant to be an evening of music and celebration turned into a personal misstep broadcast on a very public stage.” The multi-paragraph statement falsely credited to the Astronomer CEO, includes apologies to his wife, family, and team, and adds: “It’s also deeply unsettling that what should have remained a private moment was exposed without my consent.”
This statement was picked up by several Indian media outlets including The Economic Times and NDTV. They misreported it claiming that Astronomer's CEO had put it out after his video went viral.
The second statement is a sarcastic post describing the incident as an “intimate moment.”
What We Found:
1. Astronomer Confirms to BOOM That The Viral Statements Are Fake
BOOM contacted Mark Wheeler, Astronomer’s Senior Vice President of Marketing, who confirmed that the two statements circulating online and attributed to Astronomer's CEO are fake. “Both fake and very easily confirmed to be fake,” Wheeler said in an email response to BOOM. Further, there is no record of Andy Byron issuing any public statement in response to the video. Byron's LinkedIn account which is currently inactive also did not contain any such post after the video surfaced.
3. Astronomer Issues Statement On CEO’s Viral Video
On July 18, 2025, Astronomer posted a statement on X announcing that its Board of Directors had launched a formal investigation into the matter. The company clarified that Andy Byron had not issued any public statement and that reports suggesting otherwise were incorrect. In a follow-up post on July 19, Astronomer stated that Co-founder and Chief Product Officer Pete DeJoy is now serving as interim CEO, while Byron has been placed on leave.
