Astronomer Breaks Silence on Coldplay ‘Kiss Cam' Scandal, Denies Viral Misidentification of Employee Alyssa Stoddard
Amid the viral fallout, Astronomer has issued its first formal statement, and it's drawing a clear line: senior employee Alyssa Stoddard was not at the concert, despite what the internet insists.
'Alyssa Stoddard was not at the event and no other employees were in the video,' the statement reads. 'The Board of Directors has initiated a formal investigation into this matter and we will have additional details to share very shortly.'
Coldplay Kiss Cam Goes Corporate
The chaos began at Coldplay's July 17 concert in Foxborough, Massachusetts, when the band's now-notorious 'kiss cam' landed on two very unexpected guests: Andy Byron, CEO of Astronomer, and Kristin Cabot, the company's head of HR.
The pair were seen embracing in a manner many viewers described as intimate. But when the camera zoomed in on them, they appeared startled and quickly turned away, visibly uncomfortable as they tried to duck out of frame. Their awkward reaction prompted a quip from Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, who told the crowd:
'Either they're having an affair or they're just very shy.'
The comment, innocent enough in the moment, would soon become a global flashpoint.
Update: This story is developing. Astronomer has not yet announced whether Byron or Cabot will be returning to their roles following the investigation.
The post Astronomer Breaks Silence on Coldplay 'Kiss Cam' Scandal, Denies Viral Misidentification of Employee Alyssa Stoddard appeared first on Where Is The Buzz | Breaking News, Entertainment, Exclusive Interviews & More.
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New York Post
9 minutes ago
- New York Post
Chris Martin courts scandal again at first show since Astronomer kiss-cam controversy — but issues a cheeky warning
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Yahoo
17 minutes ago
- Yahoo
All publicity is good publicity: How Astronomer's viral moment could be a 'blessing in disguise'
A 'kiss cam' video appeared to show Astronomer's CEO embracing the firm's head of HR. The incident went viral around the world and led to CEO Andy Byron resigning. It's not the kind of publicity Astronomer would likely have hoped for, but it could benefit the firm. All eyes this week have been on a once-little-known tech company called Astronomer. While it's not been the kind of attention Astronomer would likely have hoped for, it's been said that all publicity is good publicity, and some public relations experts who spoke to Business Insider said the newfound fame could, ultimately, benefit the firm. The viral moment that catapulted the data company into the global spotlight took place at a Coldplay concert near Boston on Wednesday, when a "kiss cam" appeared to show then-Astronomer CEO Andy Byron embracing the company's head of human resources, Kristin Cabot. After spotting themselves on the big screen, the clearly panicked pair attempted to dodge the camera, prompting Coldplay front man Chris Martin to speculate that they were "having an affair or they're just very shy." The clip shot around the world and fueled a torrent of memes and internet sleuthing. Major brands like Netflix and even the Phillie Phanatic got in on the viral opportunity. Ryan McCormick, cofounder of Goldman McCormick, a public relations firm in New York, described it as a possible "blessing in disguise." "The real silver lining is that if this company is doing something truly innovative and they're doing something truly groundbreaking, the likelihood of someone finding them has increased substantially," McCormick told BI. "In the short term, they're embedded in controversy, but they're going to have people looking at them in a way they've never done before. I think that they'll probably come out OK." In a statement on Friday, Astronomer said its leaders were "expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability" and that it had launched a "formal investigation" into the incident. It added that Byron had been placed on leave. On Saturday, it said the exec had resigned. McCormick said Byron's departure would create some distance between the viral drama and the company. "I think they took the high road. They did what needed to be done, which was probably a hard decision," McCormick said. "If I were an investor or employee at that company, I would feel pretty confident." The company also used its Saturday statement to draw attention to its work. "Before this week, we were known as a pioneer in the DataOps space," it said. "While awareness of our company may have changed overnight, our product and our work for our customers have not." Mike Fahey, the founder and CEO of Fahey Communications, told BI that this showed the company was making "a concerted effort to redirect the narrative to where it is favorable." "Astronomer is fighting back, working to position its offerings and overall customer experience as strong and reliable," he said, adding that the company "now has more eyes on it than ever before." But the New York-based firm had initially remained silent as the social media storm gathered force and users flooded its channels with comments, which Fahey said was a mistake. "The timing of the statement was notably delayed," he said of Astronomer's Friday announcement. "The absence of official communication created a void quickly filled by rumors, fake statements, and memes that spread widely on social media." One viral post included a fake apology letter attributed to Byron that featured a lyric from a Coldplay song. It was widely assumed to be real and picked apart relentlessly online. Astronomer said Friday that Byron had not made any statement and that "reports saying otherwise are all incorrect." Kristi Piehl, founder and CEO of Media Minefield, said the company made the same mistake as the pair on the "kiss cam." "The way that they reacted online and on social media is exactly how the two people involved reacted. When the camera hit them, they hid," Piehl said. "The first impression is so important. And the company allowed the first impression to be social media, the internet, and strangers." Deirdre Latour, the founder of Rebellis Communications, also suggested the company had gotten it wrong with its initial silence. "This is just the worst version of PR malpractice that you can see from a company," she said. "They are letting this terribly worded statement, blaming Coldplay and others, fester out in the marketplace." She added that the situation was "easy to fix" and that an internal memo should have been sent to employees addressing the incident. Representatives for Astronomer did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider. Read the original article on Business Insider Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
YAHOO POLL: Should Astronomer CEO Andy Byron have resigned?
Unless you've been living under a rock with no access to social media, then you're probably aware that there's a tech company called Astronomer whose CEO recently got caught snuggling with a woman who was not his wife at a recent Coldplay concert in Boston. Astronomer chief Andy Byron is holding his company's chief people officer, Kristin Cabot, in his arms when footage of their embrace is beamed up onto the stadium's jumbotron. Coldplay frontman Chris Martin says 'Oh look at these two" which prompts Cabot to quickly cover her face while Byron ducks to avoid the cameras. "Either they're having an affair or they're very shy," Coldplay's Martin accurately notes. Of course, someone was filming the entire awkward exchange and decided it would be best to blast the clip on social media. The video went viral and it didn't take internet sleuths long to identify who the couple were and create rumours of an alleged affair. The woman behind the viral video says she wasn't trying to cause any trouble when she posted it – but at the same time she's not exactly apologetic either. "Play stupid games... win stupid prizes," she was quoted as saying in an interview. Other polls YAHOO POLL: Does cutting public holidays help boost the economy? YAHOO POLL: Do you neglect your health for your career? YAHOO POLL: Is it fair to ban cyclists from pedestrian-only paths? Astronomer launched an investigation at the weekend and it was announced shortly afterwards that Byron had resigned from his role. As of press time, there was no update on Cabot's position. 'As stated previously, Astronomer is 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, and recently, that standard was not met,' the company's statement released Saturday reads. "Andy Byron has tendered his resignation, and the Board of Directors has accepted. The Board will begin a search for our next Chief Executive as Cofounder and Chief Product Officer Pete DeJoy continues to serve as interim CEO." While the whole episode was not been the kind of attention Astronomer would have wanted, some public relations experts have said the newfound fame could, ultimately, benefit the firm. So, we want to know: Should Astronomer CEO Andy Byron have resigned? Related A CEO was caught hugging his chief people officer during a Coldplay concert—and people are furious 'Do your makeup now!' Chris Martin jokes about Coldplay's 'kiss cam' chaos after viral 'affair' clip Woman Who Exposed AI CEO's Affair on Jumbotron Responds to Controversy Astronomer CEO Andy Byron resigns after Coldplay 'kiss cam' scandal, company confirms in statement All publicity is good publicity: How Astronomer's viral moment could be a 'blessing in disguise'
