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Scandal at Coldplay Show Leads to Leadership Shakeup at Tech Firm Astronomer

Kristin Cabot, the Chief People Officer at data orchestration startup Astronomer, has officially resigned following widespread public scrutiny of her appearance alongside the company’s now-former CEO Andy Byron at a Coldplay concert in Boston.

The incident, which took place during Coldplay’s recent U.S. tour stop, drew national attention after Cabot and Byron were shown sharing an intimate moment on the stadium's ‘kiss cam.’ Both visibly ducked and attempted to hide when they realized they were being broadcast live to the crowd — a reaction that drew a pointed remark from frontman Chris Martin, who quipped, “Either they’re having an affair or they’re just very shy.”

Within days, video footage of the scene — captured by attendees and circulated across TikTok, Instagram, and Reddit — had racked up millions of views and triggered a wave of speculation about the nature of their relationship, especially given Byron’s marital status and role as the company’s CEO.

High-Profile Resignations Rock a Fast-Growing Startup

On Saturday, Andy Byron resigned from his role as CEO of Astronomer. By Thursday, Cabot had followed suit. Both have since been removed from Astronomer’s leadership page and internal directory.

A company spokesperson confirmed the news to CNBC, stating simply: “Kristin Cabot is no longer with Astronomer. She has resigned.” The move comes as Astronomer faces heightened media attention and internal disruption during what was previously a high-growth phase.

Cabot, a key figure in the company's people operations and workplace culture strategy, had been instrumental in overseeing Astronomer's internal HR infrastructure as it scaled up. Her departure, following so closely behind Byron’s, has only amplified concerns about the impact of personal conduct on executive leadership.

A Startup in the Spotlight — for the Wrong Reasons

Astronomer, a New York–based software company known for commercializing Apache Airflow (a popular open-source data orchestration tool), had just completed a major milestone. In May, it announced a $93 million Series C funding round led by Bain Capital Ventures, with participation from Salesforce Ventures and Insight Partners — a deal that valued the company at close to half a billion dollars.

But the unexpected turn of events at the Coldplay concert has shifted the spotlight dramatically — from its technological innovations to its executive scandal.

Pete DeJoy, the company’s interim CEO and former VP of Product, acknowledged the sudden media frenzy in a LinkedIn post earlier this week, writing that Astronomer had received “unprecedented national attention” and is now “a household name, just not for the reasons we imagined.”

Broader Implications: Leadership Ethics in the Tech Industry

The fallout from the Coldplay incident has reignited conversations around workplace relationships, especially among senior leaders. With HR professionals expected to uphold internal ethics and company culture, Cabot’s involvement has added complexity to the narrative.

Industry analysts point to similar past events — such as the 2019 ouster of McDonald’s CEO Steve Easterbrook over a consensual relationship — as evidence that tech and corporate boards are becoming increasingly less tolerant of behavior that undermines company trust or conflicts with internal values.

Former employees and anonymous sources close to the company described the situation as a “massive distraction” just as Astronomer was planning its next phase of international expansion and product rollouts.

What Comes Next for Astronomer?

While DeJoy has taken over as interim CEO, Astronomer is expected to conduct a formal leadership search in the coming months. Internally, the company has emphasized a renewed commitment to transparency and professionalism as it works to restore its image.

As the company’s board attempts to move forward, its future will depend not just on technical execution, but on rebuilding trust — with employees, investors, and the public.

Despite the viral nature of the Coldplay concert video, Astronomer’s story now serves as a cautionary tale about the interplay between personal conduct and professional accountability in today’s highly scrutinized tech industry.

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