Astronomer CEO Andy Byron and HR chief Kristin Cabot placed on leave after viral Coldplay concert video sparks probe. Photos/X.
Astronomer, a relatively low-profile open-source technology provider until this week, has placed its CEO Andy Byron and Chief People Officer Kristin Cabot on leave following a viral incident at a Coldplay concert in Boston.
The decision comes after videos circulated online showing Byron, who is married, in an intimate embrace with Cabot. The footage, captured on the venue’s big screen, showed Byron with his arms around Cabot. Moments after appearing on the screen, both ducked and covered their faces, prompting widespread social media attention.
Late Friday, Astronomer confirmed that co-founder and Chief Product Officer Pete DeJoy is stepping in as interim CEO.
“We will share more details as appropriate in the coming days,” the company said in an emailed statement.
Earlier in the day, Astronomer had posted on X (formerly Twitter) that it was launching a “formal investigation into this matter” and planned to provide further updates soon.
“Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability,” the company said in its statement.
According to Axios, which cited sources familiar with the situation, Byron and Cabot are now negotiating their resignations and a potential compensation package. The talks are reportedly ongoing following the fallout from the viral video, which some have dubbed the “Coldplay kiss cam incident.”
Astronomer has not commented directly on the status of these negotiations but confirmed to Axious that both executives have been placed on immediate leave.
The Axios report also suggested that the delay in Astronomer’s public response was due in part to “Byron’s slow resignation and exit package negotiations.”
On Friday, Astronomer’s Board of Directors issued a formal statement on LinkedIn, reiterating that a “formal investigation into this matter” has been initiated.
“Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability,” the board said. “We will have additional details to share very shortly.”
The incident comes just months after Astronomer announced a $93 million funding round in May, led by Bain Ventures and other backers, including Salesforce Ventures.
Astronomer is known for its open-source data operations platform called Astro, and last year, the company relocated its headquarters from Cincinnati, Ohio, to New York.
Amid online speculation, Astronomer also clarified in its statement that Alyssa Soddard, another company employee, was not present at the Coldplay concert.
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
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