Andy Byron Placed on Leave After Viral Coldplay Concert Video
— Avery Sinclair as the byline
Get ready for the latest corporate facepalm.
Astronomer CEO Andy Byron has been put on administrative leave after a TikTok clip from Coldplay’s July 15 Massachusetts show exploded online. The footage captured Byron in a tight embrace with an unidentified woman as the jumbotron zoomed in. Rather than own the moment, Byron ducked out of frame, prompting frontman Chris Martin to quip that the pair must be “having an affair” in front of thousands of fans at the Xfinity Center.
Within days, tech outfit Astronomer announced that cofounder and Chief Product Officer Pete DeJoy will serve as interim CEO while a formal investigation unfolds. In a July 18 statement on LinkedIn, the company emphasized its commitment to “values and culture” and insisted that “our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability.” Astronomer clarified that no other employees appear in the viral clip and that reports of any Byron statements are inaccurate, adding that “Andy Byron has not put out any statement.”
Chris Martin has likewise kept a low profile about the Byron buzz, though concert-goers caught his remorseful reaction on camera. As Byron and the woman scurried off screen, Martin muttered a startled “Oh s–t, I hope we didn’t do something bad,” then later redirected the jumbotron at another couple, teasing “Are you two a legitimate couple?”
This awkward moment wasn’t Martin’s only misstep that evening. Mid-show he apologized for calling the crowd a Canadian audience, chuckling that “we’re in America, where it’s slightly more complicated.”
It seems viral concert moments aren’t limited to Coldplay. Earlier this year, a Jonas Brothers member paused their set in California after two bracelets nearly struck him, leading him to beg fans to stop tossing items onstage. In July 2023, Cardi B threw her microphone after a front-row patron splashed her with a drink at Drai’s Beachclub in Las Vegas. Police later confirmed a battery report but declined to press charges.
Bebe Rexha also went public with an eye injury when a fan at her New York City show threw a phone, though her team maintained the gesture was meant as a keepsake request. Kelsea Ballerini revealed a bracelet strike during a June Idaho concert left her shaken. Ava Max shared that a fan’s slap scratched the inside of her eye at an L.A. gig, and Pink once had a Brie wheel tossed to her mid-song.
All these moments underscore one truth: even the biggest rock stars can’t predict what the crowd will deliver. And when corporate heads collide with live entertainment, the fallout can spiral as quickly as a biscuit on sale night.
So there you have it – another corporate crisis set to the soundtrack of stadium anthems.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and E! Online, LinkedIn
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
