An ‘unpopular take’ on the ‘Coldplay couple’ kiss-cam scandal has caused a bit of a debate online.
Every now and again the internet just about manages to come together in an obsession with a viral clip, and what a weekend it was thanks to one woman’s simple video.
I’d be pretty surprised if you’re reading this without a single hint of a clue of what I’m on about, but just in case, let me quickly set the scene.
A man and a woman ended up plastered all over the place last week after internet sleuths identified them in a clip from a Coldplay concert in Boston. It turned out they both worked in leadership roles at Astronomer, with the bloke, Andy Byron, having now resigned as CEO.
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While they probably could’ve quietly gone under the radar by simply not reacting, the pair absolutely sprung apart and hid when they were beamed onto the screen as Chris Martin chatted and sung to audience members.
And it’s probably that mortified reaction that led to the singer jokingly alleging: “Either they’re having an affair or they’re just shy.”
It’s not been confirmed by anyone involved that it was a fully-fledged affair, but Byron is married.
Since this whole thing went viral, his wife dropped his last name from hers on Facebook before scrubbing her socials entirely.
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The woman in his arms in the video was also picked out as Chief People Officer Kristin Cabot, who is also reportedly married.
After Astronomer confirmed that Byron had been placed on leave, it was later revealed on Saturday that he had officially resigned from his position as CEO.
But following this, one user said online: “My unpopular opinion is that even tho cheating is evil and unethical it should not have legal/professional repercussions.”
And while the internet may have come together in obsessing over the clip, that comment has split opinions.
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Some suggested it’s more down to if it’s a ‘breach of contract’ being between the ‘head of HR and CEO’ and there being some form of relationship between ‘his subordinate and there’s a power dynamic that’s at play’.
“Imbalanced power dynamics when he’s CEO and she’s also head of HR breaking the very rules she’s supposed to be enforcing,” one suggested.
Another speculated: “Lmfaooooo head of HR and CEO is a massive breach of contract it’s not about he cheating.”
While others say the video being so public is simply bad for reputation as they suggest it shows a ‘lack of integrity’ for a company.
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And another thinks: “I feel like they are only punishing him by forcing him to resign or whatever the hidden mystery is behind why he resigned only because of how he got caught in the way that Social Media ran him in the ground because of it. If he had never been caught publicly I believe he still would be running that company.”
One somewhat showed agreement: “Agreed but in this scenario it has been widely publicized and given his position in such a big company, that publicity directly affects the business.”
But some simply say: “Poor people with too much time on social media ruining this man’s life.”
Following news of Byron's resignation, a spokesperson from Astronomer said in a statement: "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.
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"The board will begin a search for our next chief executive as co-founder and chief product officer Pete DeJoy continues to serve as interim CEO."
LADbible has contacted Astronomer for comment.
Jess Battison