Coldplaygate
A romantic affair uncovered at a Coldplay concert
Example
Did you see that Coldplaygate video? I cannot believe the CEO thought no one would recognize him on the kiss cam
IKR?! Dude got exposed mid–“Fix You.” Coldplaygate is wild
And the memes are pure gold
Baseball Slang Quiz: Can you bat 1.000?
Coldplaygate is a nickname for a viral corporate drama that unfolded in July 2025 involving the CEO of the data platform company Astronomer and the company's Chief People Officer (the head of HR). The controversy began when someone spotted and recorded the married CEO at a Coldplay concert, embracing and wrapping his arms around the company's HR head (who was not his wife) during a "kiss cam" moment on July 16, 2025. The pair startled when the jumbotron zoomed in, then quickly pulled away and tried to hide, triggering widespread speculation about a possible affair, given that both were married to other people.
The video of the encounter quickly made its way to Reddit, Twitter (now X), and TikTok, where Internet sleuths identified both parties and connected the dots to Astronomer. Online users almost immediately coined the incident as "Coldplaygate," with "gate" being the go-to suffix for controversies since Watergate.
The term gained traction online, becoming a full-on Internet scandal, complete with workplace gossip, marriage speculation, and a bunch of memes. Coldplaygate soon became a flashpoint for larger conversations about workplace power dynamics, tech bro culture, and the ever-thinning line between public and private lives.