Astronomer CEO resigns after Coldplay 'kiss cam' scandal
The New York-based tech company said in a statement on X that its CEO Andy Byron 'tendered his resignation, and the Board of Directors has accepted.'
Byron was identified by online users as the man in the viral video, with users claiming that he is a married man. However, NBC News has not independently confirmed this or identified the woman.
'As stated previously, Astronomer is committed to the values and culture that have guided us since our founding,' the company said. 'Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability, and recently, that standard was not met.'
The company added that it will begin a search for its next chief executive, while its co-founder and Chief Product Officer Pete DeJoy will service as its interim CEO.
Byron did not immediately respond to a request for comment and has not responded to previous inquiries.
The debacle began on Wednesday at a Coldplay concert at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough when a 'kiss cam' displayed couples in the audience.
When the camera landed on a blond woman and a silver-haired man — later believed by social media users to be Byron — the woman covered her face and the man ducked out of the frame.
Coldplay's lead singer, Chris Martin, appeared to poke fun at the awkward moment.
'Oh, look at these two. You're all right,' he said, according to video footage from the concert that circulated widely online. 'You're OK. Oh, what? Either they're having an affair or they're just very shy.'
The moment went viral online, with videos of the encounter accruing millions of views across X, Instagram and TikTok, and spawning thousands of memes.
On Friday, Astronomer spoke out for the first time since the viral moment, saying in a statement that Byron was placed on leave.
The little-known company, which has under 500 employees according to its LinkedIn profile, appeared to address how the fanfare around the 'kiss cam' incident has affected its reputation in its Saturday statement.
'While awareness of our company may have changed overnight, our product and our work for our customers have not,' the company said.
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