New York, July 20, 2025 — Andy Byron, CEO of Astronomer, a fast-growing data orchestration company valued at $1.3 billion, has resigned following a public scandal at a Coldplay concert in Foxborough, Massachusetts. A viral Jumbotron moment captured Byron in an intimate embrace with Chief People Officer Kristin Cabot during a “kiss cam” segment, igniting rumors of an affair and triggering intense backlash.

The incident occurred on July 16, 2025, at Gillette Stadium, where the duo was filmed swaying together before noticing their image on the massive screen. Byron ducked out of sight, and Cabot hid her face as Coldplay’s Chris Martin jokingly remarked, “Looks like an affair or just super shy!” The clip exploded online, racking up 26 million views on TikTok and X, with social media buzzing about Byron, who is married with two kids, and Cabot, reportedly married under the surname Thornby.

Astronomer, known for its Astro platform built on Apache Airflow, faced a PR firestorm as the video fueled memes and speculation. X users piled on, with one writing, “Why sneak around at a Coldplay concert with 60,000 people?” Another jabbed, “Coldplay and cheating? That’s a double whammy.” The company stayed silent initially, allowing fake statements—like a forged apology from Byron—to circulate, alongside misidentifications of other employees.

On July 18, Astronomer announced that both Byron and Cabot were placed on leave pending an investigation. Late Saturday, the company confirmed Byron’s resignation, stating, “Andy Byron has resigned, and we’ve accepted it.” Co-founder Pete DeJoy stepped in as interim CEO, while Cabot remains on leave. The company stressed its commitment to its “culture and values” and is now hunting for a new CEO.

Byron, who took the helm in 2023 after stints at Cybereason and Fuze, had led Astronomer to “unicorn” status in 2022. Cabot, hired in 2024, was praised for her HR leadership but now faces scrutiny over her role in the scandal. The incident has drawn parallels to firings like those of McDonald’s and Norfolk Southern execs over workplace relationships, with experts slamming Astronomer’s slow response, which let misinformation spread.

With over 22,000 news stories mentioning Astronomer in the past 24 hours, the scandal has rocked the tech world, spotlighting how personal actions can derail corporate leadership. Astronomer, backed by heavyweights like Salesforce Ventures, insists its focus on data orchestration for AI remains unshaken.

Neither Byron nor Cabot has commented publicly. As the tech industry reels, this saga underscores the high stakes of leadership in the spotlight.

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