The viral moment at a Coldplay concert sparked speculation, memes and now, resignations from two top execs

A grainy, 19-second clip from a Coldplay concert has upended the careers of two top executives at a rising American AI firm. Kristin Cabot, chief people officer at tech startup Astronomer, has resigned just days after the company’s CEO, Andy Byron, also left following an internal investigation.

The now-infamous footage showed a man and woman—allegedly Cabot and Byron—swaying to the music during a Coldplay show before noticing themselves projected onto a giant screen in the arena. The couple suddenly ducked to avoid the camera, prompting frontman Chris Martin to joke to the audience: “Either they’re having an affair, or they’re just very shy.”

The clip, shared across platforms like TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), and Instagram, quickly racked up millions of views. Internet users dubbed it the “Coldplay Cam Scandal,” with amateur sleuths scrambling to uncover the couple’s identities. Soon, memes flourished, fake apologies circulated, and Astronomer found itself swept into an international spectacle.

Initially, Astronomer issued a vague statement saying its CEO had been placed on leave pending an investigation, without explicitly referencing the viral video. But within 24 hours, Byron resigned. The BBC later confirmed Cabot’s exit as well, quoting a company spokesperson who said simply, “She has resigned.”

The viral moment might have seemed harmless to some—an awkward but fleeting blip in the age of oversharing—but its fallout has been severe for a company that, until last week, was largely unknown to the wider public.

Astronomer, a startup focused on data engineering, analytics, and artificial intelligence tools, was quietly climbing the tech industry ranks. Suddenly, it found itself dealing with intense scrutiny, forced to make executive leadership changes in a matter of days.

Pete DeJoy, the company’s co-founder and chief product officer, has been named interim CEO. In a public update, DeJoy acknowledged the whirlwind the company had endured: “The events of the past few days have received a level of media attention that few companies—let alone startups in our small corner of the data and AI world—ever encounter,” he wrote.

Despite the distraction, DeJoy vowed to press on, calling the viral attention an unexpected challenge but affirming Astronomer’s continued commitment to its product and people. “We’re still the same team with the same mission,” he said.

Astronomer’s swift leadership shakeup—just days after the video emerged—has drawn praise in some circles for decisive crisis management. Others, however, questioned whether the reaction was proportionate or fuelled by internet outrage and optics, rather than concrete workplace misconduct.

So far, no formal allegations of impropriety have surfaced beyond the viral embrace. But with both executives departing voluntarily, the incident has highlighted the fraught intersection between personal conduct, professional responsibility, and the viral velocity of modern digital culture.

As one TikTok user summarised it: “The Coldplay cam didn’t just catch a couple— it caught a corporate collapse.”