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Astronomer CEO Andy Byron replaced after kiss cam scandal, HR Head Kristin Cabot still on payroll
Astronomer placed both executives on leave shortly after the video went public.
Astronomer is under fire after a viral video showed its then-CEO Andy Byron in an intimate moment with Chief People Officer Kristin Cabot at a Coldplay concert in Boston. While Byron resigned following public backlash, Cabot remains employed, at least for now.
The incident, caught during a “kiss cam” segment at the show, showed Byron embracing Cabot from behind. Both appeared surprised and attempted to shield their faces once displayed on the stadium’s big screen. The clip quickly spread across social media, triggering widespread outrage and raising concerns about professional conduct and company ethics.
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Astronomer placed both executives on leave shortly after the video went public. Two days later, the company issued a statement confirming that its board had launched an internal investigation. Byron has since resigned, and co-founder Pete DeJoy has been appointed interim CEO.
In a LinkedIn post, DeJoy called the past few days “unusual and surreal,” noting the unexpected attention Astronomer has received. “I would never have wished for it to happen like this, but Astronomer is now a household name,” he said.
But many are questioning why Cabot, also a senior executive, is still employed. Legal experts suggest it’s not as simple as public pressure.
“In a real-world company of this size, you can’t just fire someone because the headlines are ugly,” attorney Nicole Brenecki told the New York Post. “If HR greenlit what happened with Coldplay and there’s documentation, it could still lead to dismissal, but it takes time.”
Cabot joined Astronomer in November 2024 and is married to Andrew Cabot, owner of Privateer Rum. She was previously married to Kenneth C. Thornby, whom she divorced in 2022. Employment lawyer William Cafaro noted Cabot and Astronomer could be negotiating an exit agreement behind the scenes.
Experts also downplayed the likelihood of a sexual harassment claim, given the apparent consensual nature of the relationship. “Unless she was pressured into the relationship because of a power imbalance, there’s not much of a case,” Brenecki added.
Founded in Cincinnati, Astronomer has grown from a startup supporting Apache Airflow into a major player in data operations, serving sectors including AI, sports analytics, and autonomous vehicles. But for now, its reputation hangs in the balance, not for its tech, but for a moment of personal indiscretion broadcast to thousands.
