After Astronomer CEO Andy Byron’s Exit, HR Chief Kristin Cabot Resigns Following Viral Coldplay ‘Kiss Cam’ Moment

US-based tech firm Astronomer confirmed that Kristin Cabot, its Chief People Officer, has resigned days after she and former CEO Andy Byron were caught on a “kiss cam” at a Coldplay concert. While the company has yet to release an official public statement detailing the reasons for her departure, it told the BBC that Cabot “is no longer with the company.”

On July 20, Astronomer issued a statement confirming Byron’s resignation, with co-founder and Chief Product Officer Pete DeJoy stepping in as interim CEO. The company has begun a formal search for a new Chief Executive.

Astronomer is a tech company that focuses on data, analytics, and AI. The firm acknowledged the media attention generated by the viral incident. However, the company emphasized that the publicity has not disrupted its core business operations.

“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 Co-founder and Chief Product Officer Pete DeJoy continues to serve as interim CEO,” the company said in a statement.

Though the company never directly referred to the video, Astronomer soon announced that its CEO would be placed on leave while an internal investigation was conducted.

Coldplay ‘Kiss Cam’ Row

During Coldplay’s performance at Boston’s Gillette Stadium on Wednesday night, frontman Chris Martin engaged the audience with the classic “kiss cam” game. As the camera panned over the audience, it landed on Byron and Kristin Cabot. The two were draped in each other’s arms. The two panicked when they saw themselves on the jumbotron screen and hid their faces from the camera.

Chris Martin jokingly commented from the stage, “Oh look at these two… either they’re having an affair or they’re very shy,” prompting laughter from the audience. But the lighthearted joke sparked a major debate on social media.