Astronomer CEO Andy Byron Resigns After Coldplay ‘Kiss Cam’ Video Sparks Viral Scandal

Andy Byron has resigned as CEO of AI firm Astronomer days after a video of him and the company’s Chief People Officer appearing on a “kiss cam” during a Coldplay concert in Massachusetts went viral, fuelling online speculation and leading to internal investigation.

The incident occurred on Wednesday night during Coldplay’s concert at Gillette Stadium near Boston when the kiss cam highlighted a silver-haired man and a blonde woman, later identified as Byron and Astronomer’s Chief People Officer Kristin Cabot. The pair appeared to embrace before awkwardly slipping out of frame, prompting Coldplay’s Chris Martin to joke on stage, “Either they’re having an affair or they’re just very shy.” The clip quickly spread across social media, sparking rumours of an extramarital affair.

In the wake of the viral moment, Astronomer placed Byron on leave and launched an internal investigation. On Saturday, the company confirmed Byron’s resignation. “Our leaders are expected to model the highest standards of conduct and accountability – and recently, that standard was not upheld,” Astronomer said in a statement, adding that its Board of Directors has accepted Byron’s resignation.

Astronomer co-founder and Chief Product Officer Pete DeJoy has been appointed interim CEO while the board begins the search for a permanent successor. “While public attention may have shifted overnight, our mission remains the same – solving real-world problems in data and AI,” the company said.

Byron, who had led Astronomer since July 2023, has not made any public statement about the incident despite widespread social media chatter claiming otherwise. The company also clarified that the woman in the video was Kristin Cabot and not Vice President of HR Alyssa Stoddard, countering false claims circulating online.

Cabot, who joined Astronomer in November 2024 to lead HR operations, was also placed on leave during the investigation. Neither Byron nor Cabot has commented publicly on the viral incident.

The controversy added to public curiosity as both Byron and Cabot are married. Byron’s wife, Megan Kerrigan, is a marketing executive, while Cabot’s husband, Andrew Cabot, is the CEO of Privateer Rum. Online sleuths quickly identified the pair following the concert clip, amplifying speculation about their personal lives.

The New York-based Astronomer is best known for Astro, its open-source data orchestration tool built on Apache Airflow, and has been seen as a significant player in the AI and data management space. The company reiterated its commitment to upholding its workplace values even as it navigates the fallout from the scandal.