A US tech company has placed its CEO on leave after a big screen embrace at a Coldplay concert – rumoured to involve two of its employees – went viral.
In the clip, which initially appeared on a giant screen at the Boston concert, two people are seen with their arms wrapped around each other.
When their faces appear for thousands to see, the man and woman abruptly duck and hide from the camera.
Reports that both are executives at the company Astronomer and rumours of an affair sparked by the band leader’s comment, then spread online. Late on Friday, the company confirmed on X that its CEO Andy Byron had been placed on leave.
The video of the pair swaying to music, then quickly trying to hide exploded on the internet after the concert on Wednesday night.
Chris Martin, lead singer of Coldplay, after seeing the pair hide, said to the crowd: “Either they’re having an affair, or they’re just very shy.”
The initial video posted to TikTok received millions of views. It was then shared across platforms, turned into memes and made fun of on television programs.
Two days after the internet became inundated with chatter about the embrace, Astronomer put out a statement announcing an investigation into the matter, without specifying the video.
“Astronomer is committed to the values and culture that have guided us since our founding,” the statement read. “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.”
Co-founder and Chief Product Officer Pete DeJoy has been appointed interim CEO.
The man in the video is rumoured in multiple reports to be Astronomer CEO Andy Byron, who has been with the company since July 2023. Mr Byron himself has not confirmed his identity in the video.
The woman was identified online as Kristin Cabot, the company’s chief people officer, who has been with Astronomer since November 2024. She has not confirmed her identity either.
The BBC has been unable to confirm the identities of the people in the video.
Astronomer’s statement added that Mr Byron had not released a personal statement, and that reports saying otherwise were incorrect. It also said no other employees were in the video.
Fake statements from Mr Byron went viral on Thursday.