The company whose CEO was caught up in the wild 'Coldplay couple' saga has shared an update after announcing they have launched an investigation into the clip.
On Wednesday (16 July), a video of two people enjoying a Coldplay gig went viral after their unusual reaction to a jumbotron filming members of the crowd was captured and shared on TikTok.
While at first, it seemed like the woman who filmed the clip - Grace Springer - had caught a sweet moment, the pair's reaction led to social media users becoming suspicious.
After some sleuthing, the internet claimed the two people in the video were married Astronomer CEO Andy Byron and Chief People Officer Kristin Cabot.
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Following the circulation of the video, Astronomer announced it had launched an investigation, explaining in a statement that they would be sharing details on the matter 'shortly'.
"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," the statement read.
"The Board of Directors has initiated a formal investigation into this matter and we will have additional details to share very shortly."
Social media users had falsely claimed that a third Astronomer employee - Alyssa Stoddard - was featured in the video.
The statement continued: "Alyssa Stoddard was not at the event and no other employees were in the video. Andy Byron has not put out any statement, reports saying otherwise are all incorrect."
Just hours later, they shared another major update, explaining that CEO Byron had been placed on leave.
"Cofounder and Chief Product Officer Pete DeJoy is currently serving as interim CEO given Andy Byron has been placed on leave," it read.
"We will share more details as appropriate in the coming days."
In the video, the pair could be seen embracing while enjoying the gig, before springing apart swiftly once they realised they were on camera, resulting in a 'mortified' reaction from frontman Chris Martin.
While Byron is married, it's reported that Cabot is divorced and it's not currently clear if she has a partner.
Neither of them has publicly addressed the viral video, although a number of fake statements have circulated online.
Grace Springer, who captured the footage, explained that she has 'empathy for everyone involved' after sharing the clip, and hopes that they can heal.
"At first, I was experiencing a little bit of guilt," Grace told LADbible. "It's heartbreaking to go through something like that, but at the end of the day you need to be held accountable for your actions.
"I really just feel for the partners... I'm hoping that it will give them the opportunity not to waste any more time with a partner that doesn't give them the respect they deserve.
She continued: "Unfortunately, I think a lot of women, including myself, has been through situations like that. I had people in my life that knew and didn't tell me, so I would want to be told.
"I don't have much respect for cheaters, I think at the end of the day you have to do the right thing.
"It doesn't mean they can't be good people moving forward."
Topics: US News, News, Viral, Social Media, Coldplay
Lucy Devine