Coldplay Affair – What if it happened in the UK?

July 23, 2025

The recent resignation of Andy Byron, CEO of Astronomer, has ignited global debate around workplace relationships, leadership accountability and the power of public perception.

It started with a Sky Full of Stars with some Sparks, that ended with a PR firestorm. Byron was filmed on the Jumbotron at a Coldplay concert in Foxborough, Massachusetts, with his arms around Kristin Cabot, the company’s Chief People Officer. When their faces appeared on screen, both visibly ducked and hid from the camera. Chris Martin, narrating the moment, stated “Either they’re having an affair or they’re just very shy”.

The video went viral. Within days, Astronomer had placed both executives on leave and had initially stated it had launched a formal investigation into the matter. Byron’s resignation followed just three days later following the incident.

The US vs the UK: How would this play out over here?

In the US, “employment at will” allows employers to terminate employees for almost any reason (so long as it is not illegal – i.e. unless discrimination or whistleblowing are involved) without a formal process. Byron’s resignation came before any formal findings of misconduct, suggesting a swift reputational response.

In contrast, UK employment law requires dismissals to be for a fair reason (e.g., misconduct, capability etc) and a fair procedure must be followed. Under the Employment Rights Act 1996, employees with over two years of service are entitled to a fair dismissal process, which includes:

  • A full investigation
  • The opportunity to respond to allegations
  • The right to appeal

Byron had been CEO since July 2023, so if this had occurred in the UK, a formal disciplinary process would have been required if the Company had wanted to terminate his employment.  

Would this be a disciplinary offence in the UK?

It could be, depending on:

  • Whether a workplace relationship policy was breached.
  • Whether the relationship created a conflict of interest, breached fiduciary duties or affected performance or decision-making. This could be in breach of clauses within the contract of employment/service contract for senior employees.

A workplace relationship policy is intended to set out guidelines for conduct within the workplace and provides a framework for managers to deal with personal relationships which may affect the business. These can vary, with requiring staff to disclose a working relationship so that an employer can take pre-emptive steps to avoid conflicts of interests (e.g., by changing reporting lines). As such, this would prevent the existence of a power imbalance that exposes the employer to risk. If the relationship was consensual and disclosed, disciplinary action would likely not be warranted.

However, a failure to disclose the relationship, especially where one party influences the other’s career, can constitute misconduct. In this case, if either the CEO and Chief People Officer is involved in performance reviews, promotions or workplace investigations relating to the other, it could compromise the neutrality and integrity of the company’s internal processes. A formal review may be triggered but dismissal would be difficult to justify unless there was clear evidence of a conflict of interest, breach of fiduciary duties and that this affected performance or decision-making.

Does reputation ultimately reign?

Even if no policies were breached, a UK board may still act if reputational damage occurs, especially in ethical or compliance-driven sectors. In this case, Astronomer, a visible data company, operates in a trust-sensitive industry.

In such cases, companies may initiate “Without Prejudice” discussions to negotiate a mutual exit via a settlement agreement, avoiding a drawn-out investigation for both parties.  Nonetheless, reputational harm alone is not a legal ground for dismissal. 

Lessons for Employers

This incident is a reminder to be proactive, not reactive. Failing to address issues early can lead to harassment claims, sex discrimination claims, wrongful dismissal claims or costly internal investigations. To reduce legal and reputational risk, companies should ensure that they have the following in place:

  • Introduce or review the existing workplace relationship policy especially around disclosure and conflicts of interest.
  • Provide training to managers and HR professionals on handling disclosures with sensitivity and consistency.
  • Ensure disciplinary processes are fair and legally compliant.
  • Consider any sector-specific reputational risks and include appropriate clauses in employment contracts for leadership roles.

As we have seen in this article, in the absence of transparency, even a “Yellow” flag can quickly escalate into a red one.

How we can help

For further information or to discuss issues relating to disciplinary investigations, workplace relationships, or reviewing internal policies, please contact us to speak to a member of our Employment Team.

Darren Smith
Partner, Employment
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This reflects the law and market position at the date of publication and is written as a general guide. It does not contain definitive legal advice, which should be sought in relation to a specific matter.

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