Coldplay may face legal charges by ex-Astronomer CEO Andy Byron after kiss cam scandal

Former Astronomer CEO Andy Byron might be considering legal action against Coldplay following the viral kiss cam moment with his ex-colleague Kristin Cabot, but experts say such a move would be a long shot.

According to attorney Camron Dowlatshahi of MSD Lawyers via Page Six, Byron would have to get “creative” to pursue any claim, such as defamation based on Chris Martin’s on-stage comment. 

During the concert near Boston, after Byron and Cabot were spotted getting cozy on the kiss cam, Martin told the crowd, “Either they’re having an affair or they’re just very shy.”

To make a defamation case stick, Byron would need to prove that no affair occurred, which seems unlikely, as neither he nor Cabot has denied the allegations, and both are reportedly married. 

Dowlatshahi explains that Byron would also have to show that Martin either “knew or should have known” the statement was false and still said it with malice. 

“None of those elements will be met, so any claim against Coldplay would be frivolous,” the lawyer added.

He also noted that a lawsuit could backfire. 

“I very much doubt that Mr. Byron would want further public scrutiny by bringing a borderline frivolous suit against the event organizers and/or Coldplay.”

Another attorney, Ray Seilie of Kinsella Holley Iser Kump Steinsapir LLP, echoed the sentiment, saying a lawsuit would only keep Byron’s “indiscretion in the news for much longer.” 

Seilie stated plainly, “[Martin’s] comments … fall far short of the threshold for defamation,” and even if interpreted as factual, “it appears to be true.”

When asked whether Massachusetts’ two-party consent law could be a legal avenue, Seilie clarified that Byron had “no expectation of privacy in a public arena.”

Jules Polonetsky of Future of Privacy Forum added that “recording audio secretly can be captured by wiretapping state laws, but that’s audio only,” and purchasing a ticket often includes agreeing to being filmed.

Ultimately, Dowlatshahi reaffirmed that any attempt to sue under privacy or defamation grounds would fall flat, stating clearly, Byron “won’t be successful.”

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