Tuesday, September 2, 2025

Astronomer CEO Resigns After Coldplay Kiss-Cam Scandal

It was the Coldplay kiss cam second that brought about cringes around the globe.

The CEO of Astronomer, a non-public information infrastructure startup that reached “unicorn” standing in 2022, and his head of human sources, had been caught on digital camera in a not-so-work-appropriate second that has since gone mega-viral. The 2 executives, Astronomer CEO Andy Byron and Chief Folks Officer Kristin Cabot, are dealing with public (and office) backlash.

In an announcement on Saturday, the corporate mentioned that Byron has resigned. This is what we all know.

What occurred on the Coldplay live performance?

Final week at Gillette Stadium close to Boston, a well-liked phase of Coldplay’s present took an sudden flip. The band’s digital camera crew singles out folks within the crowd and places them up on the jumbotron, and lead singer Chris Martin improvises a music. This time round, the digital camera landed on a snuggling couple who rapidly tried to cover their faces. Martin quipped, “Both they’re having an affair or they’re simply very shy.”

A video of the second rapidly went viral, and because the video unfold, it revealed that Martin was proper. The person within the video was Byron, and the lady was the corporate’s human sources chief, Cabot. The issue? Byron is married to another person.

Now the second has taken on a lifetime of its personal, even being copied at sports activities video games.

Coldplay, in the meantime, responded over the weekend by evenly making enjoyable of the state of affairs, letting the viewers know, in very clear phrases, that they may very well be “placed on digital camera, on the massive display screen.”

Has Astronomer responded?

On Saturday, the corporate posted an announcement on X saying that Byron has resigned, after beforehand saying on Friday that Byron was placed on depart.

“Earlier than this week, we had been referred to as a pioneer within the DataOps house, serving to information groups energy every part from fashionable analytics to manufacturing AI,” the assertion says. “Whereas consciousness of our firm could have modified in a single day, our product and our work for our prospects haven’t.”

“Andy Byron has tendered his resignation, and the Board of Administrators has accepted,” it continues.

Axios reviews that Cabot was additionally positioned on depart on Friday.

Beforehand, an Astronomer spokesperson informed Newsweek and the New York Publish {that a} supposed apology from Byron, which had been circulating on-line, was faux.

Associated: IBM Changed Lots of of HR Staff With AI, In keeping with Its CEO

The faux apology from Byron was posted on X, with the imposter writing that they needed to apologize to his spouse, household, and colleagues, and famous, “I’m a Coldplay fan. And never simply of the primary two albums. I additionally just like the current stuff.”

One other faux put up, attributed to Coldplay, learn: “Beginning with our subsequent present, we’re introducing camera-free viewers sections for folks and their sidepieces.”

How does a CEO scandal like this have an effect on the office?

The incident creates potential authorized troubles and a disaster of management for the corporate, David Rice, HR skilled at Folks Managing Folks, informed Entrepreneur by way of electronic mail.

“The massive subject is the instance that it units. Clearly, a CEO ought to know higher. However the truth that it is with the chief folks officer is even worse,” Rice wrote. “She ought to positively know higher, and that’s going to guide to an entire distrust in HR, it doesn’t matter what occurs subsequent.”

“Each are on the hook right here, and no on-line apology goes to make this go away,” says Rice, declaring why firms must have very clear HR insurance policies about inter-office relationships and the results of not adhering to them.

It was the Coldplay kiss cam second that brought about cringes around the globe.

The CEO of Astronomer, a non-public information infrastructure startup that reached “unicorn” standing in 2022, and his head of human sources, had been caught on digital camera in a not-so-work-appropriate second that has since gone mega-viral. The 2 executives, Astronomer CEO Andy Byron and Chief Folks Officer Kristin Cabot, are dealing with public (and office) backlash.

In an announcement on Saturday, the corporate mentioned that Byron has resigned. This is what we all know.

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