Astronomer chief resigns after awkward Coldplay Kiss Cam moment ignites public scandal

A CEO's night out at a Coldplay concert turned into a career-ending moment when he was caught on the stadium's Kiss Cam with his company's head of human resources. Yahoo News reports that Andrew Byron, who leads the billion-dollar AI company Astronomer, was attending the concert at Boston's Gillette Stadium when cameras showed him with his arm around Chief People Officer Kristin Cabot. The pair looked shocked when they realized thousands of people were watching them on the big screen.

Byron reportedly said a curse word when he saw himself on camera, while Cabot called the situation awkward. Coldplay's lead singer Chris Martin made the moment worse by joking that the two were “either having an affair or were just very shy,” Yahoo reported. The incident quickly went viral on social media, with people making jokes and memes about the pair’s on-screen reaction. Both executives are married to other people, which made the situation even more controversial. According to Yahoo News, Byron had praised Cabot's work just months earlier when she joined the company as Chief People Officer.

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The aftermath of the viral moment was swift and serious for both executives involved. Fox News confirms that Astronomer's board of directors launched an official investigation into the incident after the video spread across the internet. The company released a statement saying its leaders must maintain high standards of behavior and accountability. Byron was initially placed on administrative leave while the investigation began, but the situation escalated quickly. Within days of the concert incident, the company announced that Byron had resigned from his position as CEO.

Fox News also revealed important details about the personal lives of those involved, noting that Cabot had divorced her previous husband in 2022 and married Andrew Cabot, the CEO of Privateer Rum, in 2024. Meanwhile, Byron appears to still be married to his original spouse. The company appointed co-founder Pete DeJoy as the interim CEO while they search for a permanent replacement. The scandal shows how quickly a private moment can destroy professional careers in today's social media world.

Chris Martin and Coldplay learned from the controversial incident and changed how they handle their famous jumbotron segments at future concerts. CNN reports that during their next show in Madison, Wisconsin, Martin gave concert-goers a clear warning before starting the Jumbotron song portion of their performance; he told the audience that cameras would be filming people in the crowd and putting them on the big screen, jokingly suggesting people should fix their makeup if needed. Fans noticed that no couples were shown on the screen during this particular show, suggesting the band was being more careful after the previous incident. The original viral moment has continued to generate internet content, with people creating countless memes and jokes about what happened.

CNN notes that the incident demonstrates how a single moment can spiral out of control in the digital age. Coldplay has not directly commented on the Byron-Cabot situation.