US Tech CEO Placed on Leave After Viral Coldplay Concert Clip

A U.S. technology company has placed its CEO on leave after a video of an embrace at a Coldplay concert—believed to involve two of its top executives—went viral online.

The clip, which was initially broadcast on a large screen at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, showed a man and a woman with their arms around each other. When their faces appeared on the screen, they quickly ducked out of view, drawing attention from concertgoers and viewers online.

Speculation soon spread that the individuals were executives at the company Astronomer, and rumours of a possible romantic relationship gained traction—especially after the band’s frontman, Chris Martin, jokingly remarked to the crowd, “Either they’re having an affair, or they’re just very shy.”

The moment, captured on video, was widely shared on social media platforms, generating millions of views on TikTok, spawning memes, and even being parodied on television.

Two days later, the company issued a statement saying it had launched an internal investigation. While it didn’t reference the video directly, the company stated that its leadership is expected to uphold high standards of conduct and accountability. The statement also confirmed that the CEO, Andy Byron, had been placed on leave, and that co-founder and Chief Product Officer Pete DeJoy would serve as interim CEO.

Andy Byron joined the company in July 2023. Although he has not publicly confirmed whether he is the man in the video, multiple reports have suggested he is. The woman, identified online as Kristin Cabot, the company’s Chief People Officer since November 2024, has also not confirmed her identity.

The company emphasized in its statement that no other employees were involved in the video, and clarified that any circulating statements attributed to Mr. Byron were false.