"I Love Capturing Moments...
No Revenue Earned from the Video"
The person who filmed the so-called "affair scandal" video at the concert venue of the world-renowned Britpop band Coldplay has explained the background of how the video was captured during an interview on a British television program.
Former US IT company CEO and Chief People Officer (CPO) caught in an affair at a Coldplay concert. TikTok capture
According to US Weekly, an American entertainment outlet, on July 21 (local time), the videographer, Grace Springer, appeared on the British show "This Morning" and said, "I wanted to see myself on the big screen and I enjoy capturing moments, so I took out my phone. At the time, I didn't think much of it, but it was already a hot topic at the venue, with over 50,000 people buzzing about it."
The controversial video was filmed at the Coldplay concert held in Massachusetts, United States, on July 16. At the time, a middle-aged couple was seen embracing and enjoying the performance, but when their image appeared on the large screen, they quickly left their seats. Chris Martin, the band's leader and vocalist, commented about the couple, saying, "They might be having an affair or could just be a very shy couple."
Afterward, the two were identified as Andy Byron, CEO of the American data operations company Astronomer, and Christine Cabot, the company's Chief People Officer (CPO).
Andy is married. US Weekly reported that Andy's spouse, Megan Currigan Byron, removed the 'Byron' surname from her Facebook account and then deleted the account after the video went viral.
When asked, "Do you regret releasing the video?" Springer expressed sympathy for Andy's family. She said, "My heart goes out to Andy's wife Megan, his family, and everyone who has been hurt," but added, "There were over 50,000 people at the concert, and I wasn't the only one filming. Even if I hadn't posted it, someone else would have."
Regarding the global attention the video received, she said, "I never imagined it would become this big of a topic," and added, "Even at the venue, the reaction was already intense."
However, Springer stated that she did not make any financial profit from the video. She said, "I did not earn any revenue from the video or its views. The video was not monetized." On TikTok, the video has recorded over 70 million views.
This affair has escalated into a corporate ethics controversy, ultimately leading Andy to announce his intention to resign. In an official statement, Astronomer said, "This incident may have changed external perceptions of the company, but our work and products for our customers remain unchanged. We will continue to focus on our core business."
Although the CEO is gone, some say this incident has brought global attention to the company. According to The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), Liz Leslie, a digital marketing director in San Francisco, wrote on LinkedIn, "The good thing is that now everyone has heard of Astronomer."
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