Kristin Cabot, HR exec of US data company Astronomer who found herself in the midst of an alleged cheating scandal at the Coldplay concert last week after she and the company’s CEO Andy Byron were captured on the jumbotron in an embrace, remains on leave.
The moment they spotted themselves on the big screen, Cabot hid her face with her hands, while Byron ducked down of sight. Their reaction prompted frontman Chris Martin to say jokingly, “Either they’re having an affair or they’re very shy.” The crowd started laughing, and the video of Cabot and Byron’s reaction went viral in a matter of minutes after a video from the embarrassing moment was shared on the social media.
According to their social media posts, it appears that both Byron and Cabot are married to other people, which only added a layer to the scandal.
@instaagraace trouble in paradise?? 👀 #coldplay #boston #coldplayconcert #kisscam #fyp ♬ original sound – grace
Following the scandal, both Byron and Cabot were placed on administrative leave pending an internal investigation into their relationship and potential breaches of company policies. Later, Byron resigned from the position of CEO, according to a statement shared by the billion dollar tech company.
On their LinkedIn profile, they wrote, “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.
“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.”
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.
The Board of Directors has initiated a formal investigation into this matter and we will have additional… pic.twitter.com/rfrAQ5bygy
— Astronomer (@astronomerio) July 18, 2025
Now, many are questioning why Cabot hasn’t been fired from her position, and according to attorney Nicole Brenecki, her exit from the company may be much more complicated than that of Byron.
Speaking to the New York Post, Brenecki said, “In a real-world big company, you can’t just fire someone because the headlines are ugly.
“There are likely contracts, internal investigations, and legal issues involved.
“If HR greenlit what happened with Coldplay, and there is a supporting paper trail, heads will likely roll. It just might take a few more days before the axe drops.”
Cabot took the job at Astronomer in November 2024.
The company’s co-founder, Pete DeJoy, said in a LinkedIn post that the immense attention “has been unusual and surreal for Astronomer workers.
“While I would never have wished for it to happen like this, Astronomer is now a household name.”
He added: “The events of the past few days have received a level of media attention that few companies — let alone startups in our small corner of the data and AI world — ever encounter.”
According to William Cafaro, an employment attorney, firing Cabot would be straightforward, but he suspects she and the company may be negotiating the terms of her departure.
“Like if you were to look for a picture of ’cause’ [for firing] in the dictionary, it would show a picture of the head of HR having a public affair with the CEO of the company,” he told The Post.
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