‘Apologies’ from Astronomer CEO Andy Byron caught in Coldplay ‘Kiss Cam’ scandal go viral, and all of them are …
Astronomer CEO Andy Byron (ex-CEO now) caught in Coldplay ‘Kiss Cam’ scandal with company’s HR Head Kristin Cabot has gone viral, rather Super Viral. And it seems the internet really wants him to apologise for cheating on his wife. So much so that a number of so-called apologies tendered by Andy Byron are doing the rounds on the internet, but alas all fake (so far). In fact, the first apology hoax came just hours after Andy Byron-HR Head Kristin Cabot video broke the internet. Little surprising that the Astronomer CEO apology went almost as viral as the video, making the company itself announce that it is fake.The very first statement from Astronomer that acknowledged the ‘Kiss Cam’ video also had a line on the fake apology video. “Astronomer is committed to the values and culture that have guided us since our founding. Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability. The Board of Directors has initiated a formal investigation into this matter and we will have additional details to share very shortly. Alyssa Stoddard was not at the event and no other employees were in the video. Andy Byron has not put out any statement, reports saying otherwise are all incorrect,” read the first statement posted by the company.
Astronomer exec too calls out the Andy Byron apology post as fake
Not just this, Ry Walker, Astronomer’s former CEO, took to Twitter to declare that the statement was “super fake”. “It did originate from a troll account and is indeed fake,” Mark Wheeler, Astronomer’s senior vice president of marketing, said in a July 18 email to French wire service AFP.Another fake Andy Byron apology letter also appeared on X on July 17. A social media user shared a screenshot of what they claimed was an official statement from Astronomer’s Twitter account. The post featured Byron confessing to being a Coldplay fan, humorously admitting his appreciation extended beyond “just the first two albums.” Despite its polished, apologetic tone, the statement was quickly debunked. Astronomer too confirmed to Canadian outlet TVA Nouvelles that the statement was entirely fake, marking it as the latest in a series of forged apology letters.
Apology from Coldplay adds to the ‘viral hoax’
Adding to the chaos, another viral post surfaced, this time attributed to Coldplay. A screengrab, which amassed over 9 million views on Twitter, claimed the band announced “camera-free audience sections” for concertgoers and their “sidepieces” starting at their next performance. Like the Byron letter, this statement was also confirmed to be a hoax. These incidents highlight the rapid spread of misinformation on social media platforms, with fabricated posts gaining significant traction before being debunked. Neither Astronomer nor Coldplay has issued further comment on the matter.
