CEO Andy Byron Resigns After Coldplay Clip Becomes Viral

Andy Byron, CEO of U.S. data startup Astronomer, has officially stepped down—just days after a Coldplay concert, the kisscam captured him in an intimate moment with a woman who was not his wife. The footage, displayed on the venue’s massive screens in front of thousands of fans in Budapest, has since gone viral, sending shockwaves through the tech and business worlds.

What started as a night out quickly turned into a public scandal, exposing not just a private indiscretion, but the unraveling of a tech leader’s reputation.

A Personal Moment on a Public Stage

The video, which now has millions of views across TikTok and Instagram, shows Byron in the audience with his arm around a woman. When the kisscam locked onto them mid-song, Andy Byron and Kriston Cabot appeared blissfully unaware—smiling, leaning in, lost in the moment. But as their faces lit up on the stadium’s massive screens and the crowd erupted, their mood shifted instantly.

Kristin froze, pulled away, and glanced back at the screen before slipping out of view. Byron lowered his head and vanished from the spotlight soon after. This was livestreamed to the stadium and, later, on to the internet. The backlash was swift. Within hours, people identified Byron, linking him to Astronomer and pointing out that the woman by his side was not his wife.

The incident triggered not only viral outrage but also internal tension at the company. With SpaceX, one of Astronomer’s key clients, already scaling back on data contracts, the scandal added fuel to an already unstable moment.

Fallout at Home and in the Boardroom

In a public statement days later, Andy Byron confirmed his resignation, citing the “deep personal and professional consequences” of the event. He added that he plans to step back from public life entirely to repair relationships and reflect, Ry Walker, co-founder and former CEO, has been reinstated to lead the company through the turbulence.
In a twist that feels scripted for viral culture, Astronomer has appointed Gwyneth Paltrow, —actor, entrepreneur and ex-wife of Coldplay frontman Chris Martin —as the company’s temporary spokesperson.

Coldplay in the Crosshairs

Andy Byron is allegedly preparing to sue Coldplay and the concert organizers for emotional distress and invasion of privacy. Sources close to the former CEO claim he feels “humiliated” after the kiss cam projected his intimate moment with HR head, Kristin Cabot to tens of thousands of fans and later, the entire internet. Byron reportedly believes the band and event staff turned him into a meme without consent.