Overview

• On July 23, Bollywood actor Kartik Aaryan recreated the July 16 Coldplay kiss cam moment in an Instagram reel that juxtaposed chocolate-eating with impromptu dumbbell curls and carried the caption “Almost got fired.”
• The parody amassed more than 2.6 million views and thousands of reactions within hours, prompting other celebrities and fans to add their own meme spins.
• The original fan-cam footage from Gillette Stadium in Boston showed Astronomer CEO Andy Byron and HR chief Kristin Cabot recoiling on the kiss cam, triggering public speculation of an affair.
• Following the viral clip, Byron resigned and Cabot was placed on administrative leave as the company appointed Pete DeJoy as interim CEO and launched a formal board inquiry.
• The evolving phenomenon underscores tensions between spontaneous live events and personal privacy, illustrating how social-media trends can amplify corporate governance controversies.