If there’s anything we’ve learnt this weekend, it’s that it only takes a few hours for the internet to blow up your entire life. On Wednesday, a couple were caught cuddling on the big screen at a Coldplay gig in Foxborough near Boston. So far, so schmaltzy. But when they realised they were on camera, instead of leaning into the moment, they quickly pulled apart: she turned around, he ducked. “Either they’re having an affair or they’re very shy,” teased Chris Martin, blissfully unaware of the online maelstrom that was about to begin.
By the morning, the couple had been identified by the internet as Andy Byron, the married CEO of AI firm Astronomer, and Kristin Cabot, the company’s head of HR. The firm released a statement confirming that its board of directors had launched a formal investigation, and on Saturday, it was announced that Byron had stepped down. “As stated previously, Astronomer is committed to the values and culture that have guided us since our founding,” it added. “Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability, and recently, that standard was not met.”
