Fans react as Coldplay’s Chris Martin issues subtle onstage reminder amid Andy Byron’s cheating scandal

Amid Andy Byron's major scandal, Coldplay’s lead singer, Chris Martin, paused his concert on Saturday night in Madison, Wisconsin. He told the crowd:

“We’d like to say hello to some of you in the crowd… So, please, if you haven’t done your makeup, do your makeup now.”

Chris Martin was talking about the band’s usual bit where fans are shown on the big screen during the “Jumbotron Song.” His playful warning came just days after an awkward moment at a Coldplay show in Massachusetts. During the same song, a man and woman were shown hugging on the Jumbotron. They looked surprised and quickly hid their faces. Martin joked:

“Either they’re having an affair or they’re just very shy.”

This moment soon made news. People online identified the man as Andy Byron and the woman as Kristin Cabot, both top leaders at a tech company called Astronomer. Byron was the CEO and Cabot was the head of human resources.

Fans gave mixed reactions to Chris Martin's warning

While some called Chris Martin funny, others made playful remark at the ex-CEO Andy Byron.

"funny lil chris," a fan wrote.

"Guess ceo didn’t see that coming," another fan commented.

"He should say if you have an affair just hide and don't hug each other in public," another fan stated.

Some fans stated that the cheating scandal was the best thing happened to Chris Martin, while others said that people should altogether stay away from Coldplay's concert.

"This is the best thing that could have happened to Coldplay," a fan exclaimed.

"The best solution is to just stay away from Chris Martin concerts altogether." wrote another fan.

What happened with Astronomer’s CEO, Andy Byron?

Just a few days after the concert, Astronomer’s board said they had launched an investigation. They put Andy Byron and Kristin Cabot on leave. On July 19, the company announced that Byron resigned as CEO. Cofounder Pete DeJoy took over as interim CEO. In a statement, Astronomer said:

“Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability, and recently, that standard was not met. Before this week, we were known as a pioneer… While awareness of our company may have changed overnight… our product and our work… have not.”

Reports by CNN News say the couple were married to other people. Corporate leaders may face consequences for personal choices. Some pointed out that past CEOs have also lost jobs over office romances. Astronomer is now looking for a new CEO. Pete DeJoy remains interim boss.

What Chris Martin said?

Chris Martin’s joke wasn’t just for fun. It was a subtle nod to the recent viral moment. After the awkward Massachusetts show, Martin likely wanted to avoid repeating the incident. At the Madison concert, he told fans in a kind way that they might be on the big screen. Then he gently warned them about their makeup. This moment got cheers and laughs.

Coldplay has not officially commented beyond Martin’s brief jokes. The band seems to hope it’s just a bit of fun rather than a major issue.

Fans and writers online have been talking about the episode. The Daily Beast said Chris Martin “would rather not repeat the now‑viral moment when he exposed a CEO’s affair.” Vanity Fair wrote about the fallout and noted that the scandal came just after Astronomer raised $93 million in funding. This shift in attention changed how the company was seen.

Chris Martin’s warning reminded fans to be ready and prepared. It worked to lighten the mood and avoid another awkward moment.

Read more: Who is Alyssa Stoddard? All about newly promoted Astronomer VP of HR wrongly identified alongside Andy Byron and Kristin Cabot

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