Data analytics company Astronomer announced on Saturday that its CEO has stepped down following a viral incident where a “kiss cam” at a Coldplay concert in Massachusetts captured a man and a woman sharing an embrace before quickly leaving, an episode that has become one of the year’s most talked-about moments.
The New York-based tech company said in a statement on X that its CEO Andy Byron “tendered his resignation, and the Board of Directors has accepted.”
The man in the viral clip was identified by online commentators as Byron, who they claim is married. However, NBC News has not verified Byron’s identity or the identity of the woman involved independently.
In a statement, the company said, “Astronomer has always been committed to upholding the values and culture that have been our foundation since inception. We expect our leaders to embody these principles through both their behavior and accountability. Recently, those expectations were not upheld.”
The company added that it will begin a search for its next chief executive, while its co-founder and Chief Product Officer Pete DeJoy will service as its interim CEO.
Byron did not immediately respond to a request for comment and has not responded to previous inquiries.
The debacle began on Wednesday at a Coldplay concert at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough when a “kiss cam” displayed couples in the audience.
When the camera landed on a blond woman and a silver-haired man — later believed by social media users to be Byron — the woman covered her face and the man ducked out of the frame.
Coldplay’s lead singer, Chris Martin, appeared to poke fun at the awkward moment.
“Oh, look at these two. You’re all right,” he said, according to video footage from the concert that circulated widely online. “You’re OK. Oh, what? Either they’re having an affair or they’re just very shy.”
The moment went viral online, with videos of the encounter accruing millions of views across X, Instagram and TikTok, and spawning thousands of memes.
On Friday, Astronomer spoke out for the first time since the viral moment, saying in a statement that Byron was placed on leave.
The little-known company, which has under 500 employees according to its LinkedIn profile, appeared to address how the fanfare around the “kiss cam” incident has affected its reputation in its Saturday statement.
“While awareness of our company may have changed overnight, our product and our work for our customers have not,” the company said.
