The Chief People Officer of a US tech company has resigned following an incident where she was reportedly seen embracing the company’s CEO on a jumbotron screen at a Coldplay concert.
Kristin Cabot is no longer employed by Astronomer, the company confirmed in a statement to the BBC.
Her departure follows the resignation of Andy Byron, the former CEO, who left last week after the firm announced he would be placed on leave pending an investigation.
The incident involved a man and a woman, identified by US media as the aforementioned colleagues, embracing on a large screen at the concert venue before appearing to attempt to conceal themselves.
Upon witnessing the pair’s reaction to the camera, Coldplay’s lead singer, Chris Martin, remarked to the audience: “Either they’re having an affair, or they’re just very shy.”
The video, which captured the pair swaying to the music before seemingly trying to hide, quickly went viral, accumulating millions of views across various social media platforms. It subsequently became a subject of memes and was parodied on television.
As online users attempted to identify the individuals involved, and as fabricated statements related to the incident began to circulate, Astronomer released a statement announcing an investigation into the matter, without explicitly referencing the video, and stated that its CEO would be placed on administrative leave.
The company announced Mr. Byron’s resignation the following day.
The BBC has been unable to independently verify the identities of the individuals featured in the viral clip.
Astronomer, which specializes in data, analytics, and artificial intelligence, has appointed co-founder and Chief Product Officer Pete DeJoy as interim CEO.
“The events of the past few days have garnered a level of media attention that few companies – especially startups in our niche within the data and AI sector – ever experience,” Mr. DeJoy stated in an update following his appointment.
He acknowledged that the company had become a “household” name almost overnight and affirmed its commitment to progressing forward and “building something great.”
This statement represents the company’s most direct acknowledgment of the incident at the Coldplay concert to date.
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