Astronomer CEO Andy Byron has been placed on leave after his affair with a colleague was caught on camera.
The CEO of data platform Astronomer found himself in hot water this week, following a viral moment from a Coldplay gig in the US on Wednesday night.
Married CEO Andy Byron was caught on the kiss cam with his arms wrapped around the Chief People Officer of his company Kristin Cabot in an awkward clip that’s taken the world by storm.
The couple immediately let go of each other and hid their faces, prompting Coldplay frontman Chris Martin to quip: “Oh look at these two. Either they are having an affair or they’re just really shy,” – and it transpired he was spot-on regarding the “affair”.
Chaos has naturally ensued since the incident went viral, with Byron now having been placed on leave by his own company. His departure was announced by Astronomer on X today, July 19.
Astronomer said on X: “Cofounder and Chief Product Officer Pete DeJoy is currently serving as interim CEO given Andy Byron has been placed on leave. We will share more details as appropriate in the coming days.”
It’s unclear what will come of the now famous Coldplay couple, but The Sun has reported that Byron is currently negotiating an exit package with the company.
Astronomer hasn’t announced that Kristin has been put on leave, although many are speculating that she will have also been temporarily suspended.
It comes after an alleged statement about the incident was released by Byron earlier in the week, which turned out to be fake.
The false statement which claimed to be from Andy said: “I want to acknowledge the moment that’s been circulating online, and the disappointment it’s caused.
“What was supposed to be a night of music and joy turned into a deeply personal mistake play-out out on a very public stage. I want to sincerely apologize to my wife, my family, and my team at Astronomer. You deserve better from me as a partner, as a father, and as a leader.
“This is not who I want to be or how I want to represent the company I helped build. I’m taking time to reflect, take accountability, and figure out the next steps, personally and professionally. I ask for privacy as I navigate that process.
“I also want to express how troubling it is that what should have been a private moment became public without my consent. I respect artists and entertainers, but I hope we can all think more deeply about the impact of turning someone else’s life into a spectacle.
“As a friend once sang: ‘Lights will guide you home, and ignite your bones, and I will try to fix you.'”
However, Astronomer announced shortly after that the statement was fake, and that Byron had been placed on leave.
The company also said they were launching a ‘formal investigation’ into the incident in another post on X.