logo
US tech CEO in viral Coldplay ‘kiss cam' video resigns

US tech CEO in viral Coldplay ‘kiss cam' video resigns

Straits Times5 days ago
Find out what's new on ST website and app.
Astronomer CEO Andy Byron reportedly seen in kiss cam footage locked in an embrace with Ms Kristin Cabot during a July 16 Coldplay concert in Boston.
NEW YORK - The CEO of an American tech company resigned July 19 after a video of him embracing an alleged colleague at a Coldplay concert went viral and fuelled relentless memes.
'Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability, and recently, that standard was not met,' New York-based Astronomer said in a statement shared on LinkedIn.
'Andy Byron has tendered his resignation,' the firm said, after previously launching an investigation.
During a Coldplay concert in Foxborough, Massachusetts on July 16, the jumbotron zoomed in on a man and a woman embracing in the stands.
But the canoodling pair appeared shocked and horrified when they spotted themselves on the big screen, with the man ducking out of frame and the woman hiding her face.
'Uh-oh, what? Either they're having an affair or they're just very shy,' joked Coldplay frontman Chris Martin.
Within hours, internet sleuths tracked down the man as Astronomer CEO Andy Byron and said the woman was the company's chief people officer, Kristin Cabot, alleging that the two were having a not-so-discreet affair.
The video has garnered millions of views on TikTok and other social media, giving rise to memes discussing everything from the folly of having an affair at a Coldplay concert, to the hypocrisy of an HR representative seemingly caught in a workplace relationship.
'The craziest thing is about the Astronomer CEO cheating scandal is it was the HR lady,' said one X user. 'The person who would warn you against fraternising with coworkers.'
Furry mascots of the Philadelphia Phillies Major League Baseball team jumped on the trend and recreated the scene for the jumbotron at a game after the video went viral.
However an apology statement attributed to Mr Byron which spread rapidly online was fake and appeared to have originated from a parody account. AFP
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

White House lashes out at US sitcom South Park's Trump parody
White House lashes out at US sitcom South Park's Trump parody

Straits Times

timean hour ago

  • Straits Times

White House lashes out at US sitcom South Park's Trump parody

Find out what's new on ST website and app. South Park creators Matt Stone (left) and Trey Parker have been criticised by The White House after the bawdy satire skewered Mr Donald Trump. LOS ANGELES - The White House has lashed out at the creators of American animated sitcom South Park (1997 to present), after the bawdy satire skewered Mr Donald Trump in an episode featuring an artificial intelligence (AI)-generated version of the United States president crawling naked through a desert. In a no-holds-barred season premiere on July 23, the animated Trump character is also seen begging Satan for sex, only to be rebuffed – in part because his penis is too small. The White House was not amused. 'This show hasn't been relevant for over 20 years and is hanging on by a thread with uninspired ideas in a desperate attempt for attention,' spokeswoman Taylor Rogers said on July 24. 'President Trump has delivered on more promises in just six months than any other president in our country's history – and no fourth-rate show can derail President Trump's hot streak.' The adult animated series, which frequently touches on hot-button issues in American life, is now in its 27th season and remains one of the world's most valuable TV shows. The season premiere begins with the foul-mouthed character Cartman appalled that American broadcaster NPR has been taken off the air by the president, while Randy, a parent, is disturbed by the presence of Jesus in public elementary school. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore MRT service changes needed to modify 3 East-West Line stations on Changi Airport stretch: LTA Singapore HDB resale price growth moderates in Q2, more flats sold Singapore Etomidate found in blood of 2 people involved in fatal Punggol Road accident in May: HSA Asia Live: Thailand-Cambodia border clashes continue for second day Business Microsoft Singapore managing director Lee Hui Li dies while on sabbatical Singapore Private residential home prices up 1 per cent in Q2: URA Business Singapore factory output grows at faster pace of 8% in June, better than expected Singapore Kopi, care and conversation: How this 20-year-old helps improve the well-being of the elderly Complaints to the fictional White House receive only a threat from Trump to sue the mountain town of South Park for billions of dollars. Meanwhile, animated Trump is threatening to bomb Canada 'like I did Iraq'. 'I thought you just bombed Iran,' the Canadian prime minister replies. 'Iran, Iraq, what the hell's the difference?' replies Trump. The episode, which sees the fictional Trump ride rough-shod over many aspects of American life, ends after the town of South Park makes a financial deal with the president that includes an agreement to make public service announcements. The AI-generated short that follows – ostensibly one of those announcements – shows an overweight Trump staggering through a desert as a narrator casts him as a latter-day Jesus. The short ends with a naked Trump as the narrator says: 'Trump. His penis is teeny-tiny, but his love for us is large.' Merger The episode aired days after creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone reportedly penned a US$1.5 billion (S$1.9 billion) streaming deal with Paramount that gives the company global rights. The deal comes at a sensitive time for Paramount, which is trying to secure government approval for a multi-billion-dollar merger with entertainment company Skydance. The CBS parent caused a furore earlier in July when it agreed to pay US$16 million to settle a lawsuit Mr Trump had brought over an interview which 60 Minutes, the storied current affairs programme, aired with his Democratic challenger Kamala Harris ahead of the presidential election in November 2024. The payment was criticised by Democrats as little more than a bribe to help smooth the merger, with Paramount initially dismissing Mr Trump's lawsuit as meritless. Last week, CBS sparked fury after it cancelled The Late Show With Stephen Colbert whose host is a pointed critic of the US president. The network insisted it was a financial decision, but opponents have painted the move as the latest example of American institutions bowing to Mr Trump. AFP

Kristin Cabot: Astronomer HR Chief Resigns More than a Week After Being Caught on Camera Kissing CEO Andy Byron at Coldplay Concert
Kristin Cabot: Astronomer HR Chief Resigns More than a Week After Being Caught on Camera Kissing CEO Andy Byron at Coldplay Concert

International Business Times

timean hour ago

  • International Business Times

Kristin Cabot: Astronomer HR Chief Resigns More than a Week After Being Caught on Camera Kissing CEO Andy Byron at Coldplay Concert

Astronomer HR boss, Kristin Cabot, resigned from the tech company on Thursday—just over a week after she was caught on camera getting cozy with CEO Andy Byron on a Coldplay concert "kiss cam". "I can confirm that Kristin Cabot is no longer with Astronomer. She has resigned," a rep from the New York firm told The Post. TMZ was first to report her ouster. Byron, who was caught getting intimate with Cabot during a Coldplay concert near Boston last Wednesday, was almost forced to step down from the AI firm over the weekend after the caught-on-camera cheating scandal exposed them and went viral, sparking massive uproar on social media. Paying for Her Mistake Kristin Cabot LinkedIn Cabot had been working as Astronomer's chief people officer — essentially the head of human resources — since November 2024. The cheating duo's workplace affair was exposed when the jumbotron at Gillette Stadium unexpectedly focused on them — causing the snuggling pair to quickly duck and try to cover their faces in a panic. "Oh, what?" Coldplay frontman Chris Martin said with confusion after catching the embarrassing buzzworthy blunder. Kristin Cabot was caught cuddling her boss, Andy Byron' on the Coldplay 'kiss cam' X "Either they're having an affair or they're just very shy." The snafu grabbed headlines, sparked a flood of memes, and became the punchline of countless jokes, as celebrities and fans around the world began reenacting the cringe-worthy moment at games and across social media. Further footgae showed the secret lovers kissing, hugging, and singing together multiple times before their affair was publicly exposed during the concert. Andy Byron LinkedIn The shadowy pair were also spotted laughing and swaying together, arms linked, to Coldplay's popular track "Yellow." After the viral fiasco, both were quickly put on leave as the company launched a formal probe into the rumored relationship. Caught and Out Neither Byron nor Cabot—both of whom are married to other partners—have publicly addressed the scandalous affair. Cabot is reportedly married to Andrew Cabot, CEO of Privateer Rum. Property records reviewed by The New York Post show the couple purchased a $2.2 million, two-story, four-bedroom New England-style house together in February. Kristin Cabot tried to hide her face the moment she realized that she and her boss Andy Byron were caught on camera X Byron, on the other hand, is married to Megan Kerrigan Byron, and the couple has two children. In the wake of the controversy, Astronomer co-founder and Brooklyn native Pete DeJoy was appointed interim CEO over the weekend. He later leaned into the viral moment, using it as a chance to promote the company. "The spotlight has been unusual and surreal for our team, and while I would never have wished for it to happen like this, Astronomer is now a household name," DeJoy, who previously served as the company's chief product officer, said in a LinkedIn post Monday. "The events of the past few days have received a level of media attention that few companies – let alone startups in our small corner of the data and AI world – ever encounter. At Astronomer we have never shied away from challenges."

Astronomer chief people officer Kristin Cabot resigns following viral Coldplay concert video
Astronomer chief people officer Kristin Cabot resigns following viral Coldplay concert video

CNA

time3 hours ago

  • CNA

Astronomer chief people officer Kristin Cabot resigns following viral Coldplay concert video

American tech company Astronomer has confirmed to numerous media outlets, including People, the BBC and CNBC, that Kristin Cabot, the executive caught in an embrace with former CEO Andy Byron at a Coldplay concert, has resigned from her role as its chief people officer. Cabot's resignation comes days after Byron stepped down as CEO, with Pete DeJoy, Astronomer's cofounder and chief product officer, taking over as interim CEO. The viral "Coldplay camera" incident, which has since sparked numerous memes and parodies, happened on Jul 16 at British rock band Coldplay's concert in Massachusetts, USA. During a segment that saw Coldplay frontman Chris Martin interacting with concert attendees, the camera panned to Byron embracing Cabot. Upon realising that they were on screen, the two immediately separated and avoided the camera, causing Martin to quip: "Either they're having an affair or they're very shy." According to reports, Cabot and Byron are married to other people. In a statement on LinkedIn on Monday (Jul 21), Pete DeJoy addressed the attention received by Astronomer since the incident, writing: "The events of the past few days have received a level of media attention that few companies – let alone startups in our small corner of the data and AI world – ever encounter. The spotlight has been unusual and surreal for our team and, while I would never have wished for it to happen like this, Astronomer is now a household name. "At Astronomer, we have never shied away from challenges; a near-decade of building this business has tested us time and time again, and each time we've emerged stronger."

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store