Coldplay concert cheating scandal: Why HR executive Kristin Cabot hasn't been fired yet

Mint

7 days ago

Kristin Cabot, the Chief People Officer at US-based data science company Astronomer, is at the centre of a viral scandal involving the company's now-former CEO Andy Byron, but she has not yet been sacked from her role, despite growing public pressure. According to a New York Post report, legal experts suggest that firing her might not be as straightforward as it seems.
The controversy erupted after Coldplay frontman Chris Martin called out Cabot and Byron from the stage at a recent concert at Gillette Stadium, Boston, with the duo allegedly caught 'canoodling' on the jumbotron. The moment went viral online and led to Byron's swift resignation. Cabot, however, has only been placed on leave while an internal investigation is underway.
While the company confirmed the probe, it has remained tight-lipped about Cabot's employment status. Lawyers cited by the New York Post suggest that this may be due to potential legal and contractual liabilities, particularly since Cabot leads the HR department.
'In a real-world big company, you can't just fire someone because the headlines are ugly,' attorney Nicole Brenecki told The Post, noting that any decision would likely involve careful legal vetting, internal reviews, and possibly even exit negotiations.
Cabot, who joined Astronomer in November 2024, has not publicly commented on the incident. Both she and Byron are reportedly married to other people, according to their social media activity, adding a personal layer to the workplace scandal.
Pete DeJoy, Astronomer's interim CEO and co-founder, acknowledged the intense scrutiny in a LinkedIn post, calling the attention 'surreal' for the company. 'While I would never have wished for it to happen like this, Astronomer is now a household name,' he wrote.
As for Cabot's future at the company, attorney William Cafaro believes discussions around her exit may already be underway. 'It's difficult to conceive how she could continue in her current role,' he said, adding that, from a legal standpoint, her public involvement with the CEO could constitute cause for termination.
However, other lawyers noted that unless the relationship was non-consensual or involved coercion, it's unlikely that Cabot could file a sexual harassment complaint — even though Byron was her superior. 'Being embarrassed on a jumbotron isn't the same as being harassed at work,' Brenecki said.
Attorney Douglas Wigdor pointed out that more information about the relationship could still surface. 'Maybe there's more to the story from her,' he said, adding that the brief video clip from the concert doesn't provide enough context.
The final decision on Cabot's employment may rest on the outcome of the internal inquiry, and whether the HR department had previously approved or overlooked the relationship.