The CEO of Astronomer made headlines across the globe after he was spotted hiding away from a camera while cuddling a woman at a Coldplay concert. He has since resigned from his position, and the company has released a statement.
The incident occurred on Wednesday, while Coldplay was entertaining fans in Boston. Several fans were pictured on the Jumbotron, a giant screen at the venue. It’s not dissimilar to a “kiss-cam,” although one couple’s reaction was unexpected. TikTok user @Instaagraace shared footage from the concert. It’s now been viewed a whopping 121 million times.
Per a report by People, the man in the video is Astronomer CEO Andy Byron. When he realizes he’s on the screen, he gingerly ducks out of view, to the surprise of Coldplay frontman Chris Martin. He joked to the crowd, “Either they are having an affair or they are just very shy.”
Astronomer released a statement on LinkedIn days later, saying, “No other employees were in the video.” The company also said, “Andy Byron has not put out any statement; reports saying otherwise are all incorrect.”
Byron Has Resigned From His Position As Astronomer CEO
On Saturday, July 19, the Astronomer took to X explaining that the CEO resigned from his position. ” 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 post reads.
The statement explains that Andy Byron has tendered his resignation and the company is now searching for a new Chief Executive. Astronomer has promptly scrubbed Byron from its leadership page. The company website now lists Pete DeJoy as the CEO.
Several other high-profile concerts have made headlines this month, albeit for different reasons. Multiple fans exiting a Beyoncé concert were caught in a panicked stampede at a nearby MARTA station. The incident occurred at the station near the Mercedes-Benz stadium in Atlanta. Witnesses reveal that an escalator packed with people malfunctioned.
The sudden movement had a knock-on effect, and several people required medical attention after being trampled. Emergency services wheeled some fans away on stretchers, and one reportedly suffered a broken ankle.