Astronomer CEO Andy Byron placed on leave after couple spotted at Coldplay concert

BOSTON: A video of a couple captured at a recent Coldplay concert, which led frontman Chris Martin to joke about them possibly having an “affair”, has now resulted in Astronomer CEO Andy Byron being placed on leave.

Byron, the CEO of data startup Astronomer, has been put on leave after he was allegedly identified as one of the individuals in the now-viral footage. “Cofounder and Chief Product Officer Pete DeJoy is currently serving as interim CEO, given that Andy Byron has been placed on leave…We will share more details as appropriate in the coming days”, a spokesperson for Astronomer told People magazine.

The video, filmed during Coldplay’s performance at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, showed a man and a woman on the event’s ‘kiss cam’. As the man put his arms around the woman, both appeared to quickly hide their faces after realising they were being shown on the big screen. The woman was seen briskly covering her face, while the man ducked out of sight soon after realising they were on camera.

Coldplay’s Chris Martin accidentally exposes astronomer CEO Andy Byron having an affair with his HR chief Kristin Cabot. pic.twitter.com/GMa2g0EiK3

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The moment caught the attention of the Coldplay frontman, who joked from the stage that they might be having an “affair”. “Oh, what? Either they’re having an affair or they’re just very shy”, said Chris Martin.

The clip went viral in no time, sparking speculation about the identities of the couple. Amid the viral frenzy, Astronomer confirmed that Byron had been placed on leave.

In a statement shared on LinkedIn on Friday, Astronomer wrote, “…committed to the values and culture that have guided us since our founding. Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability”. “The Board of Directors has initiated a formal investigation into this matter, and we will have additional details to share very shortly”, the company added.

The company, which did not directly confirm the identities of anyone in the video at the time, also clarified that Byron had not issued any statement. They also refuted reports suggesting that “other employees” were at the event and appeared in the video. (ANI)