Caught in Affair and Placed on Leave... Coldplay Scandal Leads to US CEO's Resignation

Hugging an Employee on the Big Screen at a Concert
Controversy Escalates... Internal Ethics Issue Leads to Resignation

The so-called 'Coldplay Gate' scandal has led to the resignation of the CEO of a US IT company.

According to Yonhap News on July 20, citing reports from CNBC and CNN on July 19 (local time), Astronomer, a New York-based data operations company, has accepted the resignation of CEO Andy Byron.

In an official statement, Astronomer said, "While this incident may have changed external perceptions of the company, our work and products for our clients remain unchanged," adding, "We will continue to focus on our core business."

The controversy erupted on July 16 at a concert by the world-renowned rock band Coldplay in Boston, Massachusetts. At the time, Byron was seen sitting next to Christine Cabot, the Chief People Officer (CPO) of the same company.

At a Coldplay concert, an extramarital affair was exposed involving the CEO and CPO of a US IT company.
[Image source=TikTok capture]

Byron was then seen embracing Cabot, and the moment was captured by the venue's camera and broadcast live on the large screen commonly known as the "kiss cam." When they realized they were being shown on the screen, they quickly separated and covered their faces. Coldplay's lead vocalist Chris Martin lightheartedly commented, "Either those two are having an affair, or they're very shy."

However, after the concert, the video spread rapidly on social networking services (SNS) such as TikTok, and the situation quickly escalated. As the real names of the two individuals were revealed, public criticism intensified. The company announced on July 18 that it had launched an official investigation into the matter. Astronomer stated that with Byron taking a leave of absence, co-founder Pete Dzioba would serve as interim CEO.

Within the company, the inappropriate relationship between the CEO and an employee became an internal ethics issue, leading to calls for Byron's dismissal, which ultimately resulted in his resignation.

Meanwhile, during the Coldplay concert on July 17, Martin repeatedly asked the couple caught on the big screen, "Are you two really a couple?" causing the audience to burst into laughter. This appeared to be a joke referencing the previous day's incident involving Byron and Cabot's affair being accidentally caught on camera.