CEO of Astronomer Placed on Leave
The tech company Astronomer has been embroiled in a public relations crisis following a viral video from a Coldplay concert. CEO Andy Byron was captured on the stadium's 'kiss cam' embracing Kristin Cabot, the company's Head of HR. The footage, which quickly spread across social media, showed the two executives reacting awkwardly when they realized they were on the big screen, prompting a joke from Coldplay frontman Chris Martin about whether they were 'having an affair or just very shy.'
The incident sparked widespread speculation about an alleged affair, particularly as both Byron and Cabot are reportedly married to other people. The backlash was swift, with social media users dubbing the event 'ColdplayGate' and inundating Byron's wife's social media with messages of sympathy, leading her to deactivate her accounts. Accusations of a 'toxic' work culture at Astronomer also surfaced from former employees.
In response to the mounting pressure, Astronomer initially announced an internal investigation and placed Byron on leave. Co-founder and Chief Product Officer Pete DeJoy stepped in as interim CEO. Just a day later, the company confirmed that Andy Byron had tendered his resignation, which the board of directors accepted. Astronomer stated that their leaders are expected to uphold high standards of conduct and accountability, implying that Byron's actions did not meet this standard. The company also had to address fake apology statements circulating online attributed to Byron.
The incident has significantly impacted Astronomer's public image, although the company maintains that its core product and work for customers remain unaffected. The 'Coldplay Canoodlers' incident has also inspired a viral web game, further cementing its place in internet meme culture.
SEE ALSO
CEO of Astronomer Placed on Leave was originally published on wibc.com
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
19 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Astronomer's HR chief resigns after Coldplay 'kiss cam' scandal: A timeline of what's happened since she was caught with CEO in viral video
The executives have resigned while the band's streams have surged. They were caught canoodling at a Coldplay concert — and now they're out of jobs. Days after Astronomer announced the resignation of its married chief executive, Andy Byron, who was seen in a viral video with the head of human resources, Kristin Cabot, at the band's performance at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass., the tech startup confirmed Thursday that Cabot is no longer employed with the company. 'Kristin Cabot is no longer with Astronomer,' a company spokesperson said in a statement. 'She has resigned.' Below is a brief timeline of how we got here, from the viral Coldplay 'kiss cam' moment to the fallout online. July 16: The viral video During Coldplay's concert in Foxboro, lead singer Chris Martin has the camera operator scan the crowd for people to appear on the Jumbotron while he improvises song lyrics — a regular part of the band's recent performances. The camera then turns to the pair, who try to hide themselves when they realize they are being broadcast on the big screen. "Oh, look at these two,' Martin says. 'Either they're having an affair or they're just very shy." A fan-shot video of the intimate moment explodes when it was posted online, with internet sleuths quickly identifying the man and woman in the clip as Byron and Cabot. July 18: The fallout begins Two days after the concert, Astronomer announces that the company's board of directors has launched a 'formal investigation' into the matter, and that Byron has been placed on leave. Pete DeJoy, co-founder and chief product officer, is named interim CEO. 'Astronomer is committed to the values and culture that have guided us since our founding,' the company says in a statement. 'Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability.' July 19: Byron resigns as CEO Astronomer announces that Byron has resigned from the company, and that DeJoy will continue to serve as interim CEO until a permanent replacement is found. The viral video continues to reverberate around the world, which the company acknowledged in its statement announcing Byron's resignation. 'Before this week, we were known as a pioneer in the DataOps space, helping data teams power everything from modern analytics to production AI,' the company says. 'While awareness of our company may have changed overnight, our product and our work for our customers have not.' That night, during Coldplay's first show since the infamous kiss-cam incident, Martin jokingly issues a warning to the crowd. 'We'd like to say hello to some of you in the crowd,' he says, laughing. 'How we're gonna do that is we're gonna use our cameras and put some of you on the big screen. So please, if you haven't done your makeup, do your makeup now.' July 20: Interim CEO addresses the controversy In a lengthy statement posted to his LinkedIn page, DeJoy says the New York-based company, which was founded in 2017, is embracing its newfound fame. 'The events of the past few days have received a level of media attention that few companies—let alone startups in our small corner of the data and AI world—ever encounter,' DeJoy writes. 'The spotlight has been unusual and surreal for our team and, while I would never have wished for it to happen like this, Astronomer is now a household name.' 'We're here because the mission is bigger than any one moment,' he adds. 'And our story is very much still being written.' July 24: Astromer confirms Cabot's resignation The company issues a brief statement to multiple media outlets confirming her ouster. Meanwhile, Coldplay is seeing a surge in interest on streaming platforms. According to Billboard data cited by the Hollywood Reporter, on-demand audio streams for Coldplay are up 25% since the Gillette Stadium show. 'In the preceding five days before the Boston concert, Coldplay had 28.7 million streams,' the magazine says. In the five days since, they had 35.7 million. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Kristin Cabot Resigns After Viral Coldplay Kiss Cam Moment
A video from a recent Coldplay concert featuring Andy Byron and Kristin Cabot has been in the public spotlight for quite some time now. It was a kiss cam clip from a July 16 show at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. In the video, Byron and Cabot were spotted cuddling with one another. As soon as they realised they were on the giant screen, the two seemingly hid their faces. This led the band's frontman, Chris Martin, to speculate that 'Either they're having an affair, or they're just very shy.' The incident accidentally revealed the alleged affair between Andy Byron and Kristin Cabot to the world. Byron is the former CEO of Astronomer, who tendered his resignation last week following the company's announcement about placing him on leave and investigating him after the video went viral. As reported by the BBC, Cabot, the HR chief of Astronomer, has also resigned as people officer of the company. HR chief resigns as Chief People Officer at Astronomer one week after viral Coldplay clip Kristin Cabot, the HR chief of Astronomer, has recently tendered her resignation from her position. The news came after a video featuring her and former company CEO, Andy Byron, at a Coldplay concert went viral. The clip has been a center of attention for the media and the public for several days. In the viral kiss cam video, Kristin Cabot and Andy Byron swayed to Coldplay music while cuddling each other and enjoying the concert. However, soon they ducked their faces after realizing that they were on a giant screen. The situation left the whole gallery, including Chris Martin, seemingly stunned. After Andy Byron left his position as the CEO of Astronomer, the company announced Pete DeJoy as interim CEO. DeJoy is the company's co-founder and chief product officer. 'The events of the past few days have received a level of media attention that few companies – let alone startups in our small corner of the data and AI world – ever encounter,' DeJoy said in a recent update, per BBC. The post Kristin Cabot Resigns After Viral Coldplay Kiss Cam Moment appeared first on Reality Tea. Solve the daily Crossword
Black America Web
an hour ago
- Black America Web
Kendrick Lamar Earns 4 Emmy Nominations
Source: Kevin Sabitus / Getty NEW YORK, July 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Today, the Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show Starring Kendrick Lamar earned 4 Emmy nominations as part of the 77th Emmy Awards. The acclaimed show — which was produced by Roc Nation and Jesse Collins Entertainment — became the most-watched halftime performance of all-time in February 2025, drawing an eye-popping 133.5 million viewers. The record-breaking show scored nominations in the following categories: Outstanding Variety Special (Live) Outstanding Directing For a Variety Special Outstanding Music Direction Outstanding Choreography (Variety/Reality) 'These 4 nominations are a testament to the collaboration between all involved in making this performance a reality,' Roc Nation CEO Desiree Perez said. 'Kendrick's show truly became a cultural moment that elevated the halftime show to new heights. We're so proud and thankful to Roger Goodell for his continued trust and partnership.' 'These Emmy nominations are a testament to the incredible partnership between the NFL, Roc Nation, Apple Music, and Kendrick Lamar. The Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show continues to raise the bar for live entertainment, and we're proud to see the creative excellence and cultural impact of this year's show recognized on television's biggest stage', said Peter O'Reilly, NFL Executive Vice President, Club Business, International & League Events. Lamar's Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show performance featured a wide array of special guest performers and appearances, including SZA, Samuel L. Jackson, Mustard and Serena Williams. The Emmy recognition underscores Roc Nation's longstanding success in curating game-changing Super Bowl Halftime performances for the NFL and comes after the organization executive produced USHER's dazzling performance in 2024. SEE ALSO Kendrick Lamar Earns 4 Emmy Nominations was originally published on
