The woman who filmed the viral video at a Coldplay concert has opened up about what she regrets... and how much money she's made.
Unless you've been living under a rock, then you've definitely seen the video of the Astronomer CEO appearing to embrace the company's head of HR.
The incident unfolded at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts, during Coldplay's performance, when the band activated their signature kiss cam routine.
When the camera landed on Andy Byron and Kristin Cabot, the fun took a turn as both of them tried desperately to get out of shot.
What might have ended as a fleeting moment of embarrassment instead became viral spectacle when concertgoer Grace Springer shared the footage online. Springer, 28, told The U.S. Sun: “I had no idea who the couple was. Just thought I caught an interesting reaction to the kiss cam and decided to post it.”
She later reflected on the post’s massive impact: “A part of me feels bad for turning these people’s lives upside down, but, play stupid games… win stupid prizes. I hope their partners can heal … I hope, for them, my video was a blessing in disguise.”
The clip exploded across social platforms, eventually reaching an audience of over 120 million.
Springer explained on This Morning: “In the moment when I filmed it I didn't think much of it but everyone was kind of chattering.
"There was over 50,000 people at the concert so it was a hot topic. But it wasn't until after the concert that I was debriefing the moment with my friends and said, 'let's review the footage, let's see if it really looks that bad'. And I think it does.”
She admitted to feeling conflicted: “I definitely feel for Andy's wife Megan, his family and everyone else who has been hurt in the process but as I said there was over 50,000 people and I'm not the only one that caught it on camera so if it wasn't me who uploaded it, I'm sure someone else would've.”
Considering the video is one of the most watched of the year, you'd assume that Springer would have generated some revenue, right?
Well, sadly for her, she clarified that she isn't part of the TikTok creator fund and therefore made absolutely nothing.
Following the public fallout, Astronomer quickly launched a formal investigation and placed Byron on leave.
On July 18, the company posted on LinkedIn: “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.”
Days later, Byron officially stepped down. In a statement, Astronomer confirmed: "Andy Byron has tendered his resignation, and the Board of Directors has accepted. The Board will begin a search for our next Chief Executive as Cofounder and Chief Product Officer Pete DeJoy continues to serve as interim CEO."
The statement acknowledged the situation’s broader impact: "Before this week, we were known as a pioneer in the DataOps space, helping data teams power everything from modern analytics to production AI. While awareness of our company may have changed overnight, our product and our work for our customers have not."
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