Commentary from crisis management expert Edward Segal, author of The Crisis Casebook: Lessons in Crisis Management from the World’s Leading Brands and the bestselling and award-winning Crisis Ahead: 101 Ways to Prepare for and Bounce Back from Disasters, Scandals, and Other Emergencies. Segal is a Leadership Strategies Senior Contributor for Forbes.com.

Romantic affairs that become public can immediately create a crisis for those involved and their companies. The latest example is Andy Byron, who was the CEO of Astronomer, a data analytics company. He was seen in July on a giant screen at a Coldplay concert in Foxborough, Mass. embracing a woman who was not his wife, the New York Times reported.

“They were cuddling and smiling, his arms wrapped around her, as she leaned back into him. When they saw themselves on the big screen, her jaw dropped, her hands flew to her face and she spun away from the camera. He ducked out of the frame, as did she,” according to the Associated Press. “Either they’re having an affair or they’re very shy,” Chris Martin, Coldplay’s lead singer, told the audience, The Hill reported.

In the aftermath of the viral video showing the couple’s reactions to being seen together, Byron stepped down as CEO, according to Astronomer’s LinkedIn post. The company said that it would begin searching for a new CEO.

Crisis management and public relations experts weighed in with their advice on what CEOs should do—or not do—when they are caught in public having an extramarital affair.

Take Responsibility

When their conduct becomes public, that’s the time for executives to “‘fall on the sword’ and take accountability for the possible impact to his/her personal life, but also to the company, the customers and the teams that trusted their leadership. The goal is to reestablish trust. Proactively answer the question: ‘If one lacks character and self control in one area, does it impact all other areas?’” Zakiya Larry Wolfe, founder and CEO of Quest Media Group, told me in an email interview.

Knowing what not to do in a situation such as this is as important as knowing what should be done. “What the executive should not do is blame their spouse for leading to the affair. While there are multiple sides to every story, bringing in a scapegoat, no matter how true it may be, shows a lack of leadership, accountability, and stability,” she advised.

Denying the obvious is never a good crisis management strategy. “If a situation like this goes viral, the worst thing an executive can do is pretend it didn’t happen. If the story is picking up steam, it’s better to get ahead of it with a short, honest statement—not a press release, just something real. Don’t over-explain, don’t point fingers, and definitely don’t lie. Owning it (without dragging the company into it) is the best move,” Trevor Perkins, founder of Perk PR, told me in an email message.

Don’t Wait Too Long

The longer an executive is quiet about his or her bad behavior, the worse things can get for them and their company. “Silence leaves a vacuum that others, namely the media, social media commentators, employees, and even competitors, can and will fill, usually with the worst assumptions, so get ahead of the inevitable storm and try to grab hold of the reins,” Georgia O’Brien-Perry, digital public relations manager at Bulldog Digital Media, recommended to me via email.

Executives should take some time—but not too much time—to think about what they will say about their behavior. That’s because “a lack of critical thinking can make the situation even worse. Take a moment to pause, work closely with your communications team, and get clarity on what you want to say. Your message needs to be calm, measured, and authentic and, above all, not defensive or dismissive,” she advised.

CEOs must show that they are aware of the issue and taking responsibility “even if they’re not ready (now, or later) to give full details. It’s far better to give a brief acknowledgement of what is going on rather than stonewalling; the public aren’t stupid and don’t like having the wool pulled over their eyes, so face it head on,” O’Brien-Perry concluded.

Astronomer Responds

A CEO’s poor public behavior runs the risk of damaging and tarnishing the company they lead, which is why organizations should respond and distance themselves from the executive’s actions as soon as possible.

Images from the Coldplay concert quickly went viral and have been seen millions of times on social media platforms. Before he resigned today, Astronomer had placed Byron on leave and said that, contrary to reports, he had not released a personal statement, according to the BBC.

The company’s board of directors said it “initiated a formal investigation into this matter and we will have additional details to share very shortly,” NBC News reported. In another statement, Astronomer said that it “is committed to the values and culture that have guided us since our founding. Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability.”

The viral images from the Coldplay concert are “a great reminder for companies and executives to be prepared. Because of the sudden nature of crises, leaders must ensure that their organizations aren’t just reacting in the moment but are also well equipped before a crisis happens.Kristi Piehl, founder and CEO of Media Minefield, concluded in an email message to me.

The incident underscores for business leaders the reality that cameras are everywhere, and thanks to social media, executives and their employers should be ready if whatever they do or say becomes public. As the concert video shows, nothing is off limits.