Andy Byron resigns: Astronomer CEO resigns after viral Coldplay ‘Kiss Cam' video
Andy Byron has resigned from his position in the wake of a viral video from a Coldplay concert, the data operations company said in a statement on July 19. He had been placed on leave less than a day earlier.
The company said in a statement on X that "Andy Byron has tendered his resignation, and the Board of Directors has accepted it."
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"The Board will begin a search for our next Chief Executive as Cofounder and Chief Product Officer Pete DeJoy continues to serve as interim CEO."
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.
Andy Byron has tendered his resignation, and…
pic.twitter.com/aTTUhnnyVz
— Astronomer (@astronomerio)
July 19, 2025
During Coldplay's July 16 show at Gillette Stadium, a Kiss Cam segment caught Byron and Cabot smiling and swaying together. When they realized they were on screen, Byron ducked and Cabot covered her face. Frontman Chris Martin joked, 'Either they're having an affair or they're just very shy,' and the moment quickly racked up millions of views online.
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Astronomer's Board of Directors earlier said Byron's conduct fell short of the company's standards for accountability. They accepted his resignation and appointed cofounder Pete DeJoy as interim CEO. DeJoy will lead the search for a permanent successor while also serving as Chief Product Officer.
In an official statement, Astronomer reaffirmed its commitment to customers and its Astro DataOps platform. 'Our product and our work for our customers have not changed,' the company said, noting its continued leadership in modern analytics and production AI workflows.
The Kiss Cam video, dubbed 'ColdplayGate' by social media, generated memes and betting pools on platforms like Kalshi. It also revived past reports of Byron's management style, including a 2018 profile alleging a toxic work environment at his previous company.
Astronomer, valued at over $1.2 billion after a May 2025 funding round, now faces renewed scrutiny over leadership and
workplace culture
.
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