A US technology business has placed its CEO on leave after an embrace seen on a giant screen at a Coldplay performance, reported to involve two of the company’s employees, went viral. The video, which first aired on a huge screen at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, shows two people with their arms wrapped around each other. When their faces are seen to thousands, the guy and woman quickly duck and conceal from the camera. Reports that both are executives at the business Astronomer, as well as speculations of an affair inspired by lead vocalist Chris Martin’s comment, quickly spread online. The company stated late Friday that its CEO, Andy Byron, had been placed on leave.
Byron has worked with Astronomer since July 2023. He has not confirmed his identity as the individual in the video. The woman was named online as Kristin Cabot, Astronomer’s chief people officer since November 2024. She has not verified her appearance in the video either. The BBC has been unable to independently authenticate the identities of the two individuals in the video. The footage of the couple swaying to music and then hurriedly trying to hide went viral on the internet following the event on Wednesday night. After watching the couple hiding, Coldplay’s Martin told the audience, “Either they’re having an affair, or they’re just very shy.”
The first video posted to TikTok earned millions of views. It was subsequently disseminated across platforms, transformed into memes, and mocked on television shows. Two days after the internet was bombarded with buzz about the hug, Astronomer issued a statement declaring an investigation into the situation, but did not mention the footage. It stated that Mr. Byron had not published a personal statement and that any reports to the contrary were inaccurate. On Thursday, fake statements attributed to Mr. Byron went viral. It also stated that no other personnel appeared in the video.
“Astronomer is dedicated to the values and culture that have guided us since our inception,” the statement said. “Our leaders are required to set the norm for conduct and responsibility. Pete DeJoy, co-founder and chief product officer, has been appointed temporary CEO.
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