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This week at a Coldplay concert in Boston, a moment meant to celebrate love turned into a corporate PR wildfire. During the kiss-cam, Astronomer CEO Andy Byron and Chief People Officer Kristin Cabot were caught in an intimate embrace - then visibly panicked when they realized they were live on the Jumbotron. Chris Martin even joked, âEither theyâre having an affair or theyâre just very shy.â
Then the internet did what it does best. The clip went viral, speculation exploded, and within hours, Byronâs wife had scrubbed his name from social media. Astronomer placed both executives on leave. An internal investigation was launched. But not before the narrative completely left the companyâs hands.
đ§¯ The Crisis Comms Checklist
Hereâs how to handle a personal moment gone very, very public - before it derails your company.
1. Inform legal - immediately.
This is no longer just a PR issue. When executive behavior intersects with employment law, ethics policies, or public trust, your legal team needs to be first in the loop.
2. Scrub social.
Every open comment thread is a ticking time bomb. Lock down or delete personal social media accounts before screenshots go further viral. Itâs not about hiding - itâs about containing.
3. Acknowledge without oversharing.
Silence creates chaos. A simple holding statement buys time and shows leadership is aware, engaged, and taking it seriously.
4. Separate personal from professional.
Inappropriate or not, a romantic moment between a CEO and their CPO has immediate implications for power dynamics, employee perception, and HR integrity. Address it as a workplace issue.
5. Set the internal narrative.
Your team will hear about it before your statement drops. Get ahead of the Slack spiral. Share the facts, next steps, and company values - clearly and calmly.
6. Monitor the fallout.
This isnât just about Twitter virality. Track employee sentiment, customer reaction, and stakeholder concern in real time. Adjust your messaging accordingly.
7. Close the loop.
Once the investigation ends, communicate the outcome (in this case, both executives were put on leave). Transparency doesnât mean sharing every detail - it means signaling accountability and forward motion.
The Bottom Line
In the era of kiss-cams, camera phones, and career-ending virality, crisis comms canât be reactive. You need protocols before the internet decides your story for you.
Because if your CEO ends up trending on TikTok, the real crisis isnât JUST the kiss - itâs what happens next.
đą New in non-traditional media
Tracking the newsletters, podcasts, and creators reshaping media influence.
đ° In the news
đĄī¸ Meta pushes back on EU AI Code
Meta has refused to sign the EUâs voluntary AI Code of Practice, calling it regulatory overreach that could hinder innovation. The move sets up a clash with EU policymakers ahead of the AI Actâs enforcement in August.đē YouTube cracks down on âAI slopâ content
A new policy update is targeting repetitive or AI-generated content. Creators are concerned, but marketers applaud the move for promoting originality and trust.đī¸ PR pros targeted by AI-powered phishing scams
Impostor journalists are using generative AI to launch more convincing phishing attacks - up 17% since last fall. Comms teams are responding with stricter vetting protocols.đ Social video & podcasts now outrank traditional news
A new report shows 34% of U.S. adults now get their primary news from social or video platformsâup dramatically in the past decade, reshaping how influence is built and spread.
đ¤ Spotlight on Business Creators
The latest and greatest of the executive-focused newsletters you should be reading.Â
đ§ Mostly Metrics
Curated by: CJ Gustafson
Focus: SaaS metrics, startup finance, and behind-the-scenes strategy from a CFO-turned-operator.
Why Subscribe: CJ makes finance relatableâthink LTV:CAC, burn multiple, and sales efficiency told with memes, charts, and context. Perfect for founders and comms folks who need to turn financials into storytelling fuel.
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Curated by: Byrne Hobart
Focus: Deep analysis of business strategy, finance, and tech from a macro operator lens.
Why Subscribe: Itâs where execs go to understand why markets moveânot just how. Think M&A breakdowns, SaaS strategy shifts, and thought experiments on business models. Great for senior leaders sharpening their strategic edge.
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Focus: Real-world stories and leadership insights from a serial-entrepreneur and startup CEO.
Why Subscribe: Doug distills decades of startup journeysâfrom founding and scaling to exits and boardroom lessons. Ideal for executive teams who want grounded, experience-based perspective.
â Favorite story of the week:
âThe River House Broke. We Rushed Into The Riverâ - Texas MonthlyÂ
Get your tissue boxes ready. This is the most devastating - and deeply human - story weâve read in a long time. When flash floods ripped through the Texas Hill Country on the Fourth of July, one familyâs river house was swept away with them inside. This first-hand account is harrowing, heartbreaking, and impossible to forget. Itâs a story about terror, survival, and the unthinkable choices a parent has to make in a moment of chaos. But more than anything, itâs about love and the quiet courage that carries us through the worst thing imaginable. If you read one thing this week, make it this.
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