(NewsNation) — Astronomer CEO Andy Byron resigned on Saturday after a kiss cam video of him reportedly embracing the company’s HR chief at a Coldplay concert went viral, sparking allegations of cheating.
Astronomer confirmed the news on its LinkedIn page.
“As stated previously, 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, and recently, that standard was not met,” the company said in part of a statement.
“Andy Byron has tendered his resignation, and the Board of Directors has accepted. The Board will begin a search for our next Chief Executive as Cofounder and Chief Product Officer Pete DeJoy continues to serve as interim CEO.”
Astronomer had previously announced Byron’s placement on leave in a social media post on Friday.
In addition, the company confirmed Byron has not issued any statements in response to the fake apologies circulating online. It also clarified that a senior employee, Alyssa Stoddard, was not at the concert, despite online allegations.
The video, which was originally posted to TikTok, shows a couple embracing on the kiss cam before trying to dodge out of frame and cover their faces after realizing they were onscreen. The woman is believed to be the human resources chief, but Astronomer hasn’t publicly addressed this.
“Oh, look at these two,” Coldplay frontman Chris Martin said to the crowd. Realizing they had been caught on camera, the woman instantly covers her face while Byron, who is married, slinks down to the ground, trying to quickly get out of frame.
“Alright, come on, you’re OK,” Martin said as the pair hastily attempt to vacate the shot.
The crowd roared with laughter when he Martin joked, “Either they’re having an affair or they’re just very shy.”
Co-founder and Chief Product Officer Pete DeJoy is now Astronomer’s interim CEO.
