Astronomer CEO resigns after viral Coldplay video exposes affair

Andy Byron, the CEO of New York-based tech company Astronomer, has resigned following a viral video that captured him embracing a colleague during a Coldplay concert at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on Wednesday, July 16.

The incident, which fueled widespread speculation and memes across social media, prompted a swift investigation by the company and led to Byron’s resignation, as confirmed in a statement posted on LinkedIn on Saturday.

Kiss cam and affair!

The 15-second clip, which garnered over 30 million views on TikTok alone, showed a man and a woman embracing on the concert’s jumbotron “kiss cam” before quickly ducking out of view when they realized they were on screen.

Coldplay frontman Chris Martin quipped to the crowd, “Either they’re having an affair, or they’re just very shy,” amplifying the moment’s viral spread. Internet sleuths identified the pair as Byron, who is married, and Kristin Cabot, Astronomer’s chief people officer, sparking rumors of an inappropriate workplace relationship.

Astronomer, a software startup focused on DataOps and backed by investors like Salesforce Ventures and Bain Venture Capital, initially placed Byron and Cabot on leave on Friday, July 18, while launching a formal investigation. The company’s LinkedIn statement emphasized its commitment to its values, stating, “Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability, and recently, that standard was not met.”

On Saturday, Astronomer announced that Byron had tendered his resignation, which the Board of Directors accepted. Co-founder and Chief Product Officer Pete DeJoy has been appointed interim CEO while the company searches for a permanent replacement.

The viral video triggered a flood of memes and online commentary, with some users highlighting the irony of Cabot, the HR chief responsible for enforcing workplace policies, being involved in the incident.

The incident has sparked broader discussions about privacy and the power of social media in the age of AI and facial recognition.