Andy Byron, CEO of data infrastructure company Astronomer, has resigned following a viral incident at a Coldplay concert that sparked widespread speculation and controversy. The resignation comes days after footage from the July 16 concert at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, showed Byron embracing the company’s Chief People Officer, Kristin Cabot, on the event’s “kiss cam.”
The video, which amassed over 74 million views on TikTok, captured Byron and Cabot in an intimate moment, only for them to quickly separate upon realizing they were displayed on the jumbotron. Coldplay frontman Chris Martin’s lighthearted comment, “Either they’re having an affair, or they’re just very shy,” fueled online rumors of an extramarital affair, as Byron is married to Megan Kerrigan Byron, and Cabot was previously married.
Astronomer initially placed Byron on leave and launched a formal investigation into the matter, stating, “Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability.” On Friday, the company announced Byron’s resignation, with co-founder and Chief Product Officer Pete DeJoy stepping in as interim CEO. The company did not explicitly confirm Byron’s involvement in the video but noted that a purported apology statement circulating online was fake.
The scandal, dubbed “ColdplayGate” on social media, led to intense public scrutiny, with Byron deleting his LinkedIn profile and his wife deactivating her Facebook account after receiving a flood of comments. Astronomer has pledged to provide further updates as the situation develops.
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