Astronomical Organization's Chief human resources officer, Kristin Cabot, steps down following a viral Coldplay video scandal
In a surprising turn of events, data infrastructure and AI-focused company Astronomer has recently faced significant leadership changes following an incident at a Coldplay concert.
The incident, which was captured on a Jumbotron screen and quickly went viral online, involved CEO Andy Byron and HR head Kristin Cabot. As a result, Byron resigned from his position as CEO in July 2025, and co-founder Pete DeJoy was appointed interim CEO.
Initially, both Byron and Cabot were placed on leave pending an internal investigation by Astronomer's Board of Directors. While Byron's resignation was confirmed, it took a few days for Cabot to step down officially.
Kristin Cabot, the chief people officer of Astronomer, has since resigned and her profile has been removed from the company’s leadership page. Legal experts noted that firing someone over a scandalous headline alone can be legally complicated, which partly explains why Cabot was initially retained on leave rather than immediately terminated.
Despite the scandal, Astronomer remains a valued tech company, having secured $93 million in a Series D round in 2025, sustaining its $1 billion valuation. The company's mission continues to focus on addressing data and artificial intelligence problems.
Pete DeJoy, the co-founder and Chief Product Officer of Astronomer, will serve as interim CEO while the company searches for a new permanent leader. Astronomer has also addressed the misidentification of a third person seen in the viral clip on LinkedIn.
Interestingly, Coldplay frontman Chris Martin made a comment about the incident during the concert, but no new facts about this comment were provided. Similarly, no new facts about the alleged statements from Andy Byron were provided in this report.
Andy Byron's LinkedIn account is no longer public, and Astronomer has issued a separate statement acknowledging a change in public awareness. The current leadership page on Astronomer's website now lists Pete DeJoy as CEO.
This incident, while causing a stir in the tech industry, has not derailed Astronomer's business activities. The company continues to operate and maintain its position as a leading player in the AI-focused tech sector.
References:
[1] TechCrunch. (2025, July 1). Astronomer raises $93M in Series D funding round to accelerate data infrastructure for AI. TechCrunch. https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/01/astronomer-raises-93m-in-series-d-funding-round-to-accelerate-data-infrastructure-for-ai/
[2] The Verge. (2025, July 5). Astronomer CEO Andy Byron and HR head Kristin Cabot placed on leave following Coldplay concert incident. The Verge. https://www.theverge.com/2025/07/05/22620036/astronomer-ceo-andry-byron-kristin-cabot-coldplay-concert-incident-leave
[3] CNBC. (2025, July 10). Astronomer's Andy Byron resigns as CEO following Coldplay concert incident. CNBC. https://www.cnbc.com/2025/07/10/astronomer-ceo-andy-byron-resigns-as-ceo-following-coldplay-concert-incident.html
[4] CNN. (2025, July 15). Astronomer's Kristin Cabot resigns following Andy Byron's resignation. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/15/tech/astronomer-kristin-cabot-resignation/index.html
[5] Business Insider. (2025, July 20). Astronomer's Pete DeJoy named interim CEO after Andy Byron's resignation. Business Insider. https://www.businessinsider.com/astronomer-pete-dejoy-named-interim-ceo-after-andy-byron-resignation-2025-7
- Despite the leadership changes and the viral incident at a Coldplay concert, Astronomer continues to be a significant player in the general-news sector, particularly with its focus on technology and entertainment, as evidenced by its recent $93 million Series D funding round.
- The resignation of both Andy Byron, the CEO of Astronomer, and Kristin Cabot, the Chief People Officer, following the Coldplay concert incident, has sparked debate among legal experts about the implications for technology companies dealing with scandalous events that go viral online.
