Former Astronomer CEO Andy Byron and the firm’s Chief People Officer, Kristin Cabot, were seen getting close at Coldplay’s Boston concert moments before their viral jumbotron encounter.
In a newly shared TikTok video, a fan posted footage of frontman Chris Martin performing on July 16. In the background, Byron can be seen wrapping his arms around Cabot’s waist from their seats on the balcony.
Later during the concert, Martin, 48, introduced a kiss cam segment to meet some of the couples in the crowd. When the camera landed on Byron and Cabot, they both immediately ducked out of frame.
“Whoa, look at these two. Alright, come on. You’re OK,” Martin quipped at the time. “Either they’re having an affair or they’re just very shy. I’m not quite sure what to do.”
Astronomer CEO Andy Byron’s Coldplay Kiss Cam Scandal: What to Know
Neither Byron nor Cabot, who are reported to be married to other people, have addressed their relationship status. Us Weekly has reached out for comment.
In light of the scandal, Astronomer confirmed that they launched a “formal investigation” into the situation and placed Byron on leave from his post. Company cofounder Pete DeJoy has since been appointed as interim CEO. Byron formally resigned on Saturday, July 19.
“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,” a spokesperson for Astronomer told Us in a statement. “Andy Byron has tendered his resignation, and the Board of Directors has accepted. 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.”
Astronomer Launches Investigation Into CEO’s Coldplay Kiss Cam Scandal
The statement continued, “Before this week, we were known as a pioneer in the DataOps space, helping data teams power everything from modern analytics to production AI. While awareness of our company may have changed overnight, our product and our work for our customers have not. We’re continuing to do what we do best: helping our customers with their toughest data and AI problems.”
When Coldplay returned to the stage for a Saturday show in Wisconsin, Martin also subtly addressed the now-viral scandal.
“We’d like to say hello to some of you in the crowd and put some of you on the big screen,” he said. “How we’re going to do that is we’re going to use our cameras and put some of you on the big screen. Please, if you haven’t done your makeup, do your makeup now.”
