Astronomer’s new CEO reacts to Andy Byron-HR head's viral video: 'I would never have...'

The co-founder and newly appointed interim CEO of Astronomer, Pete DeJoy, and ex-CEO Andy Byron with the company's HR head Kristin Cabot at the Coldplay concert. (Image credit: LinkedIn, X)

Pete DeJoy, co-founder and newly appointed interim CEO of tech unicorn Astronomer, has publicly addressed the viral "kiss cam" scandal that led to the resignation of his predecessor, Andy Byron. DeJoy, who took the helm over the weekend, described the intense media attention as "unusual and surreal" for the data and AI company.

Byron's resignation followed a widely circulated video from a Coldplay concert, where he was seen embracing the firm’s HR head, Kristin Cabot. The incident gained significant traction online as Byron, who is married, and Cabot attempted to evade the cameras.

In a LinkedIn post on Monday, DeJoy wrote, "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." He acknowledged the unexpected notoriety, adding, "The spotlight has been unusual and surreal for our team and, while I would never have wished for it to happen like this, Astronomer is now a household name."

DeJoy also said that the company has never shied away from challenges. "A near-decade of building this business has tested us time and time again, and each time we’ve emerged stronger," he said, thanking the team for their resilience and the clients for their continued trust amidst the unexpected public scrutiny.

The graduate of Bowdoin College had co-founded Astronomer in 2017. It has since grown into a successful private data infrastructure and operations firm, achieving unicorn status in 2022 with a valuation of $1 billion or more.

What happened at the Coldplay concert?

During a Coldplay concert in Foxborough, Massachusetts last Wednesday, the jumbotron zoomed in on a man and a woman embracing in the stands.

But the canoodling pair appeared shocked and horrified when they spotted themselves on the big screen, with the man ducking out of frame and the woman hiding her face.

"Uh-oh, what? Either they're having an affair or they're just very shy," joked Coldplay frontman Chris Martin.

Within hours, internet sleuths tracked down the man as Astronomer CEO Andy Byron and said the woman was the company's chief people officer, Kristin Cabot, alleging that the two were having a not-so-discreet affair.

The video has garnered millions of views on TikTok and other social media, giving rise to memes discussing everything from the folly of having an affair at a Coldplay concert, to the hypocrisy of an HR representative seemingly caught in a workplace relationship.

"The craziest thing is about the Astronomer CEO cheating scandal is it was the HR lady," said one X user. "The person who would warn you against fraternizing with coworkers."

Company's statement

"Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability, and recently, that standard was not met," the New York-based AI company had said in a statement shared on LinkedIn. "Andy Byron has tendered his resignation," the firm said, after previously launching an investigation.

(Witn inputs from ANI)