In the smartphone era, every arena screen, dash-cam and bystander iPhone is a potential Bloomberg terminal for reputational risk.
The following seven cases—all ignited by footage no communications team ever approved—show how a few unscripted seconds can cost executives their jobs, shave billions off market caps, or force global brands into overnight policy rewrites.
1. Astronomer’s Coldplay Kiss-Cam Catastrophe (2025)
The shot: During Coldplay’s July 18 show at Gillette Stadium, the venue’s kiss-cam landed on tech CEO Andy Byron with his arms around Kristin Cabot, Astronomer’s chief people officer. Front-man Chris Martin quipped, “Either they’re having an affair or they’re just very shy,” and the pair quickly ducked, exiting the camera’s view while fueling instant speculation.
- Byron’s wife wiped her last name from social media within 24 hours; Andy Byron deleted his LinkedIn; the board called an unscheduled all-hands;
- Within hours, prediction markets like Kalshi and Polymarket lauched markets re: Byron’s future at the company.
- Will the CEO of Astronomer leave this month? Traders on Kalshi say there’s a 56% chance, and already nearly $500,000 has been wagered.
2. Uber CEO’s Dash-Cam Duel (2017)
The shot: Driver Fawzi Kamel’s dash-cam captured Travis Kalanick berating him over falling fares: “Some people don’t like to take responsibility for their own –.”
- The clip surfaced via Bloomberg, turbo-charging #DeleteUber and adding to a year-long drumbeat of HR complaints.
- Within four months Kalanick took a leave of absence and ultimately resigned as CEO.
3. United Airlines’ Aisle-Dragging Disaster (2017)
The shot: Multiple passengers filmed security officers forcibly removing Dr. David Dao from Flight 3411 after he refused to give up his seat.
- Shares fell nearly 4 percent in two trading days (about $1 billion in market value); CEO Oscar Munoz’s planned move to board chair was scrapped.
- United rewrote 10 customer-service rules within a week and raised the maximum passenger-bump payout to $10,000.
4. Starbucks’ Philadelphia Arrests (2018)
The shot: Customer Melissa DePino live-tweeted and filmed police arresting two Black men who were waiting for a friend at a Philadelphia Starbucks.
- CEO Kevin Johnson flew in to apologize; the store manager was removed, and 8,000 U.S. cafés closed for a half-day of racial-bias training—an estimated $12 million sales hit.
- The #BoycottStarbucks hashtag trended globally for 48 hours.
5. Taco Bell Marketing Exec’s Uber Assault (2015)
The shot: A driver’s dash-cam showed marketing manager Ben Golden punching him and vomiting inside the car after a night out; the video racked up two million YouTube views in 48 hours.
- Golden was fired the next business day; Taco Bell issued a statement distancing itself and reminding franchisees of its Code of Conduct.
- The brand endured a weekend of negative memes before the story subsided.
6. AgroPlasma CEO’s Racial-Slur Ride (2020)
The shot: Uber video captured Hans Berglund, founder-CEO of fertilizer firm AgroPlasma, using a racial slur when asked to sit in the back seat.
- Berglund was terminated, and the board issued a community apology emphasizing “cornerstones of trust.”
- Agribusiness partners publicly reviewed their supplier lists, forcing the private company into defensive outreach.
7. Franklin Templeton’s “Central Park Karen” (2020)
The shot: Birder Christian Cooper recorded portfolio manager Amy Cooper calling 911 to claim “an African-American man is threatening me” after he asked her to leash her dog.
- Franklin Templeton fired Cooper within 24 hours, stating zero tolerance for racism; the firm’s shares dipped about 5 percent in the week amid ESG-risk chatter.
- Cooper later sued for wrongful termination and lost on appeal.
