Astronomer CEO resigns after viral Coldplay “kiss cam” incident

Andy Byron, CEO of data infrastructure startup Astronomer, has resigned following the viral "kiss cam" incident at a Coldplay concert last Wednesday in the US state of Massachusetts.

The jumbotron at Gillette Stadium captured Byron in an embrace with Kristin Cabot, Astronomer's Chief People Officer, prompting Coldplay frontman Chris Martin to quip, "Either they're having an affair, or they're just very shy".

The video quickly went viral, amassing over 45 million views on TikTok and millions more across other platforms, leading to widespread online discussion dubbed "ColdplayGate".

Astronomer's Board of Directors swiftly accepted Byron's resignation, stating he "failed to meet the company's standards in 'conduct and accountability'".

Byron was initially placed on leave on July 18, with his resignation confirmed the following day. Pete DeJoy, cofounder and Chief Product Officer, has been appointed interim CEO.

The scandal resurfaced allegations of a "toxic" work environment under Byron's leadership, both at Astronomer and from his previous role as Chief Revenue Officer at Cybereason between 2017 and 2019.

Former employees described him as a boss who would "lash out against employees who disagreed with him".

Astronomer, valued at approximately $740 million after its Series D funding round in May 2025, or $1.3 billion , emphasized its commitment to business continuity.

The company stated, "While awareness of our company may have changed overnight, our product and our work for our customers have not," reaffirming its focus on its Astro platform and DataOps capabilities.