Andy Byron, the CEO of U.S.-based tech firm Astronomer, has resigned following the circulation of a viral video showing him in an intimate moment with an alleged colleague during a Coldplay concert in Massachusetts.
The video, which captured a man and a woman embracing affectionately in the stands during the band’s performance at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, quickly lit up the internet when the pair were caught on the stadium jumbotron.
The man, later identified by internet sleuths as Byron, ducked his head out of the frame while the woman, said to be Astronomer’s Chief People Officer Kristin Cabot, covered her face in shock.
“Uh-oh, what? Either they’re having an affair or they’re just very shy,” Coldplay frontman Chris Martin quipped in real-time, unknowingly narrating what would become one of the most talked-about viral moments of the week.
Okay.ng reports that the incident triggered a torrent of online memes and commentary, not only about the embrace itself but also the irony of a senior HR executive possibly engaging in a workplace romance.
“The craziest thing about the Astronomer CEO cheating scandal is it was the HR lady,” one X (formerly Twitter) user wrote. “The person who would warn you against fraternizing with coworkers.”
On Saturday, Astronomer officially confirmed Byron’s resignation in a statement shared via LinkedIn:
“Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability, and recently, that standard was not met. Andy Byron has tendered his resignation.”
The company had previously stated it was launching a formal internal investigation into the incident after widespread speculation about the identity of the woman in the video. It also clarified that no other employees were present at the concert and that Alyssa Stoddard, another executive who was falsely linked to the clip, was not in attendance.
Adding to the spectacle, mascots of the Philadelphia Phillies MLB team recreated the jumbotron moment at a recent game, adding to the growing pop culture buzz around the scandal.
Meanwhile, an apology letter allegedly from Byron that circulated online was later confirmed to be fake, originating from a parody account, further fanning the flames of confusion.
Astronomer has not named an interim CEO, but the company says further updates regarding leadership will be shared in due course.
