US tech CEO in viral Coldplay ‘kiss cam' video resigns
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
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
10 hours ago
- Straits Times
K-pop girl group I-dle, Chinese singer Cai Xukun headline S'pore debut of Chinese music festival
Find out what's new on ST website and app. K-pop girl group I-dle (above) and Chinese pop idol Cai Xukun will be headlining the Bubbling & Boiling Music and Arts Festival. SINGAPORE - K-pop girl group I-dle and Chinese pop idol Cai Xukun will be headlining the upcoming Bubbling & Boiling Music and Arts Festival at Resorts World Ballroom. The festival from China is making its overseas debut in Singapore. According to the event's website and social media accounts, I-dle will be performing on Sept 13 and Cai on Sept 14. The full artiste line-up and ticket information has yet to be announced. I-dle, formerly known as (G)i-dle, consist of five members - Miyeon, Minnie, Soyeon, Yuqi and Shuhua. They rebranded themselves with the name change in May, and released a special EP, We Are I-dle, that same month. They debuted in May 2018 and are famous for songs such as Latata (2018), Oh My God (2020) and Hwaa (2021). The group last performed here at the Singapore Indoor Stadium in October 2023 as part of their I Am Free-ty World Tour. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Car that fell into Tanjong Katong Road South sinkhole removed; road remains closed for repairs Singapore Workers used nylon rope to rescue driver of car that fell into Tanjong Katong Road sinkhole Life Vet Talk: Pet owners and vets need to work together to prevent infectious zoonotic diseases Singapore Benchmark barrier: Six of her homeschooled kids had to retake the PSLE Singapore For Singapore to do well, PAP govt has to continue to hold its own: SM Lee Asia S'porean trainee doctor in Melbourne arrested for allegedly filming colleagues in toilets since 2021 Singapore Mum at 15: More teens in Singapore gave birth in 2024 Business Already owning 5 properties, woman wanted elderly dad's 4 homes Minnie, 27, was in town in June for the opening of American footwear brand Skechers' revamped flagship outlet at Bugis Junction and in January for the launch of Chinese milk tea chain Chagee's second flagship store at VivoCity. Cai, 26, rose to fame in 2018 after taking part in Chinese reality show Idol Producer, in which he finished first. He then became the leader of temporary boy band Nine Percent, formed by the top nine-placed contestants of Idol Producer, before they disbanded in 2019. He is known for songs such as Lover (2020), Hug Me (2022) and Deadman (2025), and was a regular cast member of Chinese variety show Keep Running between 2020 and 2023. He previously performed in Singapore at Marina Bay Sands in July 2023 as part of his Kun 2023 World Tour.
Straits Times
10 hours ago
- Straits Times
England's success at Euro 2025 is keeping tattoo artist busy
Find out what's new on ST website and app. Soccer Football - UEFA Women's Euro 2025 - Semi Final - England v Italy - Stade de Geneve, Lancy, Switzerland - July 22, 2025 England's Lucy Bronze and teammates pose for a picture on the pitch before the match REUTERS/Denis Balibouse BASEL, Switzerland - England defender Lucy Bronze has been in high demand at Honey Studio London since she smashed home what turned out to be the winning penalty in the Lionesses' nail-biting quarter-final shootout victory over Sweden at Euro 2025 last week. Grace Mills, a hand poke tattoo artist who works out of Honey Studio, estimates she has done a half dozen tattoos of the veteran England player in her number two shirt, pumping her fists in celebration, since that memorable night. With England set to face world champions Spain in the final on Sunday in Basel, Mills said -- win or lose -- her books are filling up for more Lionesses tattoos next week. "Football, especially women's football, really celebrates community and people's different ways of showing their style, whether it be fashion or tattoos, and celebrating community through individualism," Mills told Reuters. "And so, I think it's a really big crossover between people who love football and also love tattoos." The Australian, herself a "massive football fan", has also done tattoos in commemoration of Arsenal winning the women's Champions League earlier this year and England's victory at the 2022 Euros. "I just always loved designing tattoos that are around things people are super passionate about, and designing them in a way where people who want something a bit more simple or subtle or more feminine, and celebrate sport as well," she said. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Car that fell into Tanjong Katong Road South sinkhole removed; road remains closed for repairs Singapore Workers used nylon rope to rescue driver of car that fell into Tanjong Katong Road sinkhole Life Vet Talk: Pet owners and vets need to work together to prevent infectious zoonotic diseases Singapore Benchmark barrier: Six of her homeschooled kids had to retake the PSLE Singapore For Singapore to do well, PAP govt has to continue to hold its own: SM Lee Asia S'porean trainee doctor in Melbourne arrested for allegedly filming colleagues in toilets since 2021 Singapore Mum at 15: More teens in Singapore gave birth in 2024 Business Already owning 5 properties, woman wanted elderly dad's 4 homes Mills' Euro 2025 tattoos are in collaboration with the Lionesses and creative agency This Fan Girl. An England supporter made headlines after he got an early "Euro 2024 Winners" tattoo before the men's final last year. England ended up losing to Spain. REUTERS
Straits Times
12 hours ago
- Straits Times
K-star Cha Eun-woo covers KPop Demon Hunters song Free with movie's lead actress Arden Cho
Find out what's new on ST website and app. The wait is over for fans who have been looking forward to the collaboration between South Korean singer-actor Cha Eun-woo and American actress Arden Cho. On July 27, Netflix dropped a video of their duet for the song Free from the streaming platform's hit animated movie KPop Demon Hunters (2025). The film follows the members of Huntrix, a fictional K-pop girl group who are fighting to save the world from soul-stealing demons and competing with fictional K-pop boy band Saja Boys from the demon world. 'This cover of Free by Huntrix has officially pierced my heart,' Netflix wrote on Instagram, and thanked the two stars. In the film, the romantic ballad is sung by the characters Rumi, the leader and lead vocalist of Huntrix, and Jinu, the leader of Saja Boys. Jinu (left, voiced by Ahn Hyo-seop) and Rumi (voiced by Arden Cho) in KPop Demon Hunters. PHOTO: NETFLIX Cho, best known for her roles in American supernatural teen series Teen Wolf (2011 to 2017) and legal drama Partner Track (2022), voices Rumi, with Korean-American singer Ejae providing the character's singing voice. Jinu was voiced by Canadian actor Ahn Hyo-seop, with South Korean singer Andrew Choi providing the character's singing voice. K-drama idol Cha was reportedly the inspiration behind Jinu. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Car that fell into Tanjong Katong Road South sinkhole removed; road remains closed for repairs Singapore Workers used nylon rope to rescue driver of car that fell into Tanjong Katong Road sinkhole Life Vet Talk: Pet owners and vets need to work together to prevent infectious zoonotic diseases Singapore Benchmark barrier: Six of her homeschooled kids had to retake the PSLE Singapore PAP has to retain its position for Singapore to keep doing well: SM Lee Asia S'porean trainee doctor in Melbourne arrested for allegedly filming colleagues in toilets since 2021 Singapore Mum at 15: More teens in Singapore gave birth in 2024 Business Already owning 5 properties, woman wanted elderly dad's 4 homes Cho, 39, also shared on Instagram and her YouTube channel on July 26 a video in which she chatted with Cha, 28, a member of K-pop boy band Astro, about their duet. He is set to begin his mandatory military service on July 28. 'I'm here with one of my awesome 'dongsaeng' (younger sibling or friend),' she said. 'But people don't really know you're one of my 'dongsaeng' because we never posted a picture or anything.' Cha said they were introduced about five years ago via a South Korean producer who worked on some of his shows. He had starred in K-dramas such as Gangnam Beauty (2018), Rookie Historian Goo Hae-ryung (2019) and True Beauty (2020 to 2021). 'When I was in America, she introduced (me to) a lot of delicious brunch cafes and restaurants,' Cha said of Cho. 'We love eating.' Cho remarked that Cha looks like Jinu, adding: 'And I thought it'd be really fun and special if we did a collaboration.' Cha also said Cho looks like Rumi, and that it was a feeling shared by many of his celebrity friends in South Korea and his staff. 'We were texting about KPop Demon Hunters and when we were talking about the movie, I mentioned that I was coming to Korea to do some press,' Cho said. 'We were, like, wouldn't it be fun if we covered it?' Cha said he loves all the songs from the movie, especially Free. Cho added that her fiance is a huge fan of Cha. She announced her engagement on social media in April without revealing his name. 'He's been waiting for our cover,' she said. 'He said you're so cool and so good-looking. You really look like Jinu.'
