The Usual Place Podcast

Astronomer executives’ Coldplay scandal: Why it went viral and the obsession with public shaming

A tech CEO's alleged affair with his HR chief came to light during a Coldplay concert.

Natasha Ann Zachariah

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If combining the words “kiss cam”, “Coldplay”, “Astronomer” and “affair” means nothing to you, you have managed to be blissfully unaware of the internet’s weekend meltdown over a very public spectacle.

Here’s the TL;DR recap: A couple, who were in a tight embrace, created a buzz among concertgoers – and later, the world – when they pulled a duck/hide move after

they were featured on the kiss cam at a Coldplay concert in Boston.

Their reaction was so suspicious that the band’s frontman Chris Martin quipped: “Either they are having an affair or they’re just very shy.”

It turned out that Martin was right, and the cheating pair were colleagues at US tech firm Astronomer.

Internet sleuths uncovered their names and job titles – he’s Andy Byron the now-former chief executive at the company; she’s Kristin Cabot, Astronomer’s chief people officer – as well as information about their other relationships.

People also found out who Mr Byron’s wife was, with some even sending her messages about what they thought of her husband.

Beyond the illicit affair being publicly exposed, the incident led to much introspection about what happens when private moments become public, and leadership credibility.

Also, what is our obsession with public shaming?

To answer those questions on this episode of The Usual Place podcast, I spoke with:

Stephanie Phua, founder of marketing and branding collective Duo Studio and co-founder of The Trampoline Club, a platform which pushes for compassion, understanding and mutual respect in conversations;
Pan Huiyan, a millennial leadership coach; and
Dr Sunny Johar, managing director for South-east Asia at digital experience agency KRDS.

Highlights (click/tap above):

3:03 Initial thoughts about Coldplay-gate

6:25 Would the moment have gone viral if the couple did not react badly?

7:40 How social media fuelled the discourse

11:40 Why brands trend-jacking the moment can backfire

14:15 What this incident tells us about filming and sharing content about strangers

17:09 “Nobody is fact-checking.”- Stephanie on the content that people put up online

20:54 Would anyone have cared if it weren’t the CEO and the head of HR?

23:59 Will a private mistake affect a person’s work ethics?

28:32 You’re the main character on the internet today. What now?

31:28 Leaders don’t have the luxury of reacting as an individual, said Sunny

34:24 Post-viral moment, can the couple recover professionally?