A tech company has placed its CEO on leave following a viral moment at a Coldplay concert that sparked intense online speculation and prompted a public comment from lead singer Chris Martin.
Astronomer, the company in question, confirmed on Friday, July 18, that CEO Andy Byron is on leave. “Cofounder and Chief Product Officer Pete DeJoy is currently serving as interim CEO given Andy Byron has been placed on leave,” a company spokesperson told PEOPLE. “We will share more details as appropriate in the coming days.”
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The incident stems from a video that went viral earlier this week, showing a man and woman—whose identities were not disclosed at the time—on the venue’s “kiss cam” during Coldplay’s performance at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. In the clip, the man embraces the woman before both quickly try to hide once they realize they’re on camera. The woman covers her face, while the man ducks out of sight.
Lead singer Chris Martin noticed the moment and commented on stage, saying, “Oh, look at these two… All right, c’mon, you’re okay.” He then joked, “Oh, what? Either they’re having an affair or they’re just very shy,” drawing laughter from the audience.
The video swiftly gained traction on TikTok and other social media platforms, with users speculating about the pair’s identities and relationship. Some posts falsely claimed to identify the individuals and their connections to Astronomer.
Later in the show, Martin appeared to express concern about the potential repercussions of the moment, reportedly telling the crowd, “Holy s—. I hope we didn’t do something bad,” according to The Guardian.
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On LinkedIn, Astronomer addressed the growing attention, stating: “We are 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 company added that its board had launched a formal investigation and would provide updates as appropriate.
Astronomer did not confirm the identities of the individuals in the video but clarified that reports suggesting other employees were involved were inaccurate. Byron has not issued a public statement and did not respond to PEOPLE’s requests for comment. Efforts to contact the woman were unsuccessful.