Celebrity
Tech CEO Resigns After Viral Coldplay Concert Video
The CEO of American tech company Astronomer, Andy Byron, has stepped down after a viral video showing him embracing a woman at a Coldplay concert sparked speculation of an office romance and triggered a wave of internet memes.
The company, based in New York, confirmed his resignation in a statement shared on LinkedIn on Saturday, following an internal investigation.
“Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability, and recently, that standard was not met,” the statement read. “Andy Byron has tendered his resignation.”
The incident took place during a Coldplay concert in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on Wednesday, when the stadium’s jumbotron zoomed in on a man and woman cuddling in the crowd. The pair appeared visibly startled upon realizing they were on the big screen—the man quickly ducked out of view while the woman covered her face.
Coldplay frontman Chris Martin reacted in the moment, joking: “Uh-oh, what? Either they’re having an affair or they’re just very shy.”
Within hours, online users identified the man as Andy Byron and alleged that the woman was Kristin Cabot, Astronomer’s chief people officer. Rumors quickly spread that the two were involved in a workplace affair, adding fuel to a social media frenzy.
The video amassed millions of views across platforms like TikTok and X (formerly Twitter), sparking memes and commentary highlighting the irony of a human resources executive being implicated in a workplace relationship.
One viral post on X read: “The craziest thing about the Astronomer CEO cheating scandal is it was the HR lady. The person who would warn you against fraternising with coworkers.”
The scene became so iconic that even the Philadelphia Phillies mascots spoofed the moment on their jumbotron during a game, further fueling the trend.
Amid the fallout, a fake apology allegedly from Byron circulated widely online, but it was later revealed to be the creation of a parody account and not an official statement from the former CEO.
