Coldplay kiss cam fallout: Astronomer CEO Andy Byron resigns; firm cites ‘standard not upheld

Astronomer CEO Andy Byron has resigned, days after a kiss cam moment involving him and Chief People Officer Kristin Cabot at a Coldplay concert triggered a viral storm and widespread speculation online.

The incident occurred at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, where Coldplay was performing. As the stadium’s kiss cam panned to the audience, a silver-haired man and a blonde woman—later identified as Byron and Cabot—were shown on screen. As the two embraced awkwardly and slipped out of frame, Coldplay frontman Chris Martin quipped, “Either they’re having an affair or they’re just very shy.” The footage quickly spread online, prompting intense scrutiny over the pair’s identities and their relationship.

On Saturday, Astronomer confirmed Byron’s resignation in an official statement. “Our leaders are expected to model the highest standards of conduct and accountability—and recently, that standard was not upheld. Andy Byron has submitted his resignation, which the Board of Directors has accepted.”

Astronomer co-founder and Chief Product Officer Pete DeJoy has been appointed interim CEO, with the company adding that a formal search is underway for Byron’s permanent replacement. “While public attention may have shifted overnight, our mission remains the same—solving real-world problems in data and AI.”

The company had earlier placed both Byron and Cabot on leave following the incident. It also clarified that false social media claims misidentifying the woman as VP of Human Resources Alyssa Stoddard were incorrect. “The woman in the video was not Vice President of Human Resources Alyssa Stoddard,” the company said. “Andy Byron had not made any public comment, dismissing widely shared reports as incorrect.”

Byron had been serving as CEO since July 2023, leading the New York-based company known for Astro, its open-source data orchestration platform built on Apache Airflow. Cabot joined Astronomer in November 2024 to head HR and talent operations.

Neither Byron nor Cabot has issued any public statement regarding the controversy. The company reiterated that “Byron has not released a statement,” despite continued social media chatter to the contrary.

Online sleuths identified the individuals in the video as Byron—who is married to marketing executive Megan Kerrigan—and Cabot, who is married to Privateer Rum CEO Andrew Cabot. The viral attention around the moment prompted an internal investigation by the company, followed by Byron’s exit.

“As previously stated, Astronomer is committed to the values and culture that have guided us since our founding,” the company said.