An American tech CEO has stepped down after a moment caught on camera at a Coldplay concert spiraled into a viral internet storm.
Andy Byron, who led the New York-based company Astronomer, resigned following a whirlwind of online attention sparked by a video that surfaced from the band’s recent show in Massachusetts. The clip showed a man and a woman sharing an embrace in the crowd—until they noticed themselves on the big screen. What started as a sweet moment quickly turned awkward, with the man ducking and the woman covering her face.
Coldplay’s lead singer Chris Martin couldn’t resist a quip: “Uh-oh, what? Either they’re having an affair or they’re just very shy.”
That moment lit up the internet. Within hours, online sleuths had identified the man as Byron and the woman as Kristin Cabot, reportedly the company’s Chief People Officer. Allegations of an office affair spread like wildfire.
Astronomer later addressed the matter on LinkedIn, stating, “Our leaders are expected to set the standard… and recently, that standard was not met.” The company confirmed Byron’s resignation following an internal review.
The story became meme fuel across social media, with jokes flying about the irony of an HR executive allegedly involved in a workplace relationship. “The wildest part? The HR lady was in on it,” one user posted on X. “The same person who’d tell you not to date coworkers.”
Even sports mascots got in on the action—the Philadelphia Phillies recreated the scene on their jumbotron, adding a light-hearted twist to the trending drama.
As the internet buzzed with opinions and speculation, a fake apology statement attributed to Byron also began circulating. It was soon debunked as the work of a parody account.
While the concert moment may have lasted only seconds, its aftermath reshaped an entire company’s leadership and gave social media plenty to talk about.
