US tech company Astronomer CEO Andy Byron has been placed on leave after a video of him getting cozy with HR chief Kristin Cabot at a Coldplay concert went viral.
According to CNN, the company on Friday, July 18, announced that they have suspended the CEO after he was spotted hugging and embracing the HR chief on a Jumbotron video at at the show.
Astronomer stated that the cofounder and chief product officer of the company, Pete Dejoy, will serve as interim CEO.
The company also revealed that it has also launched a “formal investigation” into the matter without referring to the viral video or naming Byron and Cabot.
In a statement posted on LinkedIn, the company said, “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. The Board of Directors has initiated a formal investigation into this matter, and we will have additional details to share very shortly."
Byron was spotted embracing Cabot on a Jumbotron screen at a Coldplay concert on Wednesday, July 16, at Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts. After the camera focused on them, the CEO quickly hid, and the head of human resources turned back towards the camera.
Seeing this, the lead singer of Coldplay, Chris Martin, told the crowd, “Either they're having an affair, or they're just very shy," sparking the rumours of a possible relationship.
The video then quickly went viral on the internet and received millions of views after users quickly identified Byron and Cabot.
The viral moment has now become a meme, with many famous creators and other users creating humorous videos to poke fun at the incident.
