The public downfall of former Astronomer CEO Andy Byron, ignited by a viral “kiss cam” video at a Coldplay concert, has taken a stunning and potentially catastrophic turn. Just weeks after resigning from his position over a public embrace with a colleague, Byron is now embroiled in a new scandal, with leaked private messages allegedly showing he spent upwards of $40,000 on explicit video calls with an OnlyFans creator. The new allegations, reportedly leaked by his estranged wife, Megan Kerrigan, are a fresh layer of public humiliation that could have significant financial and legal consequences.
The “ColdplayGate” saga, which captivated the internet, began in July 2025, when a camera at a Coldplay concert in Boston caught Byron in an intimate embrace with Astronomer’s then-Chief People Officer, Kristin Cabot. The footage, and Coldplay frontman Chris Martin’s on-stage joke, went viral, leading to Byron’s swift resignation and a public marital implosion.
Now, according to reports from The Economic Times and other outlets, the narrative has become even more sordid. Leaked private messages, purportedly shared by Byron’s wife, Megan Kerrigan, include screenshots of Byron’s interactions on a messaging app, where he allegedly paid a popular OnlyFans creator, Sophie Rain, up to $40,000 for video calls. One alleged message exchange quotes Rain saying, “All good. Most guys I talk to are married,” followed by, “Okay, call me in 5 mins [winky face].”
The new allegations have been met with a combination of shock and “I-told-you-so” from a public that has been following Byron’s downfall with fascination. The scandal also raises serious questions about the use of marital funds and could significantly impact Byron’s looming divorce settlement. In a “no-fault” state like Massachusetts, infidelity itself may not affect the division of assets, but the “misappropriation of marital funds” for an affair—in this case, allegedly tens of thousands of dollars—could absolutely be a factor in court.
Byron has not publicly commented on the new allegations, and his former company, Astronomer, has also refrained from making a statement, though it has appointed co-founder Pete DeJoy as interim CEO. The OnlyFans creator, Sophie Rain, has addressed the controversy in an exclusive statement to The Blast, offering sympathy to Byron’s wife and distancing herself from the scandal. “I don’t condone this type of behavior,” she said, adding that she would be “here for his wife if she needs a friend through these times.”
The alleged scandal is a stunning new chapter in a story that began with a moment of public indiscretion. For Andy Byron, the viral “kiss cam” video has not just ended his career and marriage; it has also seemingly opened a Pandora’s box of digital secrets, turning his professional and personal life into a cautionary tale for the social media age.