Coldplay‘s recent performance has become the catalyst for major corporate drama after Astronomer CEO Andy Byron was caught in an intimate embrace with the company’s chief human resources officer, Kristin Cabot, on the venue’s jumbotron.
The incident, which occurred during Wednesday’s concert at Boston’s Gillette Stadium, has led to Byron’s resignation from the data analytics company.
“As stated previously, Astronomer 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, and recently, that standard was not met,” the company explained in their official statement.
The Board of Directors has accepted Byron’s resignation and will begin searching for a new Chief Executive while cofounder and Chief Product Officer Pete DeJoy serves as interim CEO.
@hermanntjay Astronomer CEO Andy Byron’s reaction , followed by an apology to his wife and family after appearing on a kiss-cam with HR Kristin Cabot at a Coldplay’s concert. #hermanntjay #viral
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The awkward moment unfolded during what should have been a lighthearted segment of the show called “The Jumbotron Song,” where Chris Martin typically improvises lyrics about audience members captured on camera. When Byron and Cabot appeared on screen in what appeared to be a compromising position, their immediate reaction—ducking and turning away from the camera—only heightened suspicions about the nature of their relationship.
Martin apparently acknowledged the uncomfortable situation from the stage, joking: “Either they’re having an affair or they’re just very shy.”
By Friday, Astronomer had already placed both Byron and Cabot on leave and initiated a formal investigation. Less than 24 hours later, Byron’s resignation was announced.
Despite the unexpected publicity, Astronomer appears determined to focus on business moving forward. “While awareness of our company may have changed overnight, our product and our work for our customers have not,” the company stated. “We’re continuing to do what we do best: helping our customers with their toughest data & AI problems.”
The company, which describes itself as “a pioneer in the DataOps space, helping data teams power everything from modern analytics to production AI,” now finds itself navigating an unexpected crisis sparked by what was supposed to be a night of music and entertainment.
