Astronomer CEO resigns after viral Coldplay ‘kiss cam’ video

The CEO of New York-based software firm Astronomer, Andy Byron, has stepped down after being caught on camera in what appeared to be an intimate moment with a colleague during a Coldplay concert.

He resigned after footage from Wednesday’s concert in Foxborough, Massachusetts, showed him with his arms around a woman. The clip quickly spread online.

Byron, who is married, was seen reacting nervously when he noticed the camera. The woman beside him turned away and covered her face. Online users soon identified her as Kristin Cabot, Astronomer’s chief people officer.

“Either they’re having an affair or they’re just very shy,” joked Coldplay’s Chris Martin during the concert, a moment when he typically ad-libs lyrics about audience members shown on screen.

The company shared a statement on LinkedIn on Saturday stating that “Astronomer is committed to the values and culture that have guided us since our founding,” “Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability, and recently, that standard was not met.”

The video, which went viral on TikTok and other platforms, led to a flood of memes and online jokes. Many focused on the irony of an HR executive appearing in a situation that could violate company policy.

“The craziest thing is about the Astronomer CEO cheating scandal is it was the HR lady,” wrote one X user. “The person who would warn you against fraternizing with coworkers.”

Tribune Online gathered that Cabot is also married, She has been placed on indefinite leave while the company carries out an internal review.

Alison Taylor, a professor at NYU’s Stern School of Business, told the Associated Press the public reaction may be tied to perceptions that people in power often behave as if rules don’t apply to them.

“They probably would have got away with it if they hadn’t reacted,” she said, calling the situation a classic case of “leaders acting like the rules don’t apply to them.”

Most event venues, including Gillette Stadium where the concert was held, inform attendees that they may be filmed.

The said stadium online privacy policy states that “When you visit our location or attend or participate in an event at our location, we may capture your image, voice and/or likeness, including through the use of CCTV cameras and/or when we film or photograph you in a public location,”.

The incident also sparked broader concerns about how easily people can be identified online. With widespread use of social media and AI tools, anonymity in public spaces is becoming harder to maintain.

“It’s a little bit unsettling how easily we can be identified with biometrics, how our faces are online, how social media can track us and how the internet has gone from being a place of interaction, to a gigantic surveillance system,” said Mary Angela Bock, a journalism professor at the University of Texas at Austin.

“When you think about it, we are being surveilled by our social media. They’re tracking us in exchange for entertaining us.”

As for Byron, what happened might feel like a moment straight out of a Coldplay song. And given the fallout, he may well be wishing he hadn’t chosen that concert as the place for a public display of affection.

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