"I want to acknowledge the moment that's been circulating online, and the disappointment it's caused," says the purported message. "What was supposed to be a night of music and joy turned into a deeply personal mistake playing out on a very public stage."

The multi-paragraph message attributed to "CEO Andy Byron," which includes apologies to his wife, family and Astronomer team, continues: "I also want to express how troubling it is that what should have been a private moment became public without my consent."

It concludes with a quote from the Coldplay hit song "Fix You."

The supposed statement rocketed across social media platforms such as X and Instagram starting July 17, 2025, spreading in multiple languages and shared by prominent figures including podcast host Keith Olbermann.

The Mirror, a British tabloid newspaper, shared it in a since-corrected article.

The claims follow an awkward and viral moment in which a man and woman were initially shown snuggling and smiling on the jumbotron at a Coldplay concert in Massachusetts. The man quickly ducked out of the frame while the woman turned to cover her face as Coldplay frontman Chris Martin quipped, "Either they're having an affair or they're just very shy."

Internet users and media outlets identified the pair in the video -- which racked up more than 58 million views on TikTok -- as Byron and Kristin Cabot, the technology company's chief people officer (archived here).

But the statement attributed to Byron online is a...

Read Full Story: https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiWEFVX3lxTE5MUF8yeHZEZ0x4dHNNUC03OHE3...