The tech world is still reeling from the kiss cam scandal that derailed the careers of two high-ranking executives at Astronomer, a once little-known DataOps company now thrust into a brutal public spotlight. Less than 72 hours after a Coldplay concert in Boston set off a firestorm of controversy, CEO Andy Byron has officially resigned from his post.
Astronomer Breaks Its Silence: “Our Leaders Are Expected to Set the Standard”
In a no-nonsense statement issued to Page Six on Saturday, Astronomer confirmed that Byron had “tendered his resignation, and the Board of Directors has accepted.” The company emphasized that the departure was a reflection of its values, not just public pressure.
“As stated previously, 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, and recently, that standard was not met,” the statement reads.
The board also announced that it would begin a formal search for the company’s next Chief Executive. In the interim, Cofounder and Chief Product Officer Pete DeJoy will continue to serve as CEO. He, too, has not escaped the mess entirely unscathed. He previously joked about the viral footage in a now-deleted internal Slack message.
The Video That Sparked a Firestorm
The drama began Wednesday night at Coldplay’s concert in the Boston area when a stadium jumbotron zeroed in on Byron and Kristin Cabot, Astronomer’s head of Human Resources, seated side by side. As the camera lingered, the two appeared visibly startled, leaning away from each other and attempting to hide from the lens in a move that felt less like stage fright and more like damage control.
Coldplay’s frontman Chris Martin even called attention to the moment mid-song, quipping, “Either they’re having an affair or they’re just very shy.”
It didn’t take long for the internet to run with the former theory and receipts. Byron is married to Megan Kerrigan Byron, who quickly removed his surname from her Facebook profile and then deactivated her account altogether following the incident. The public has yet to hear from Megan, but the message was clear. The family was blindsided.
As for Kristin Cabot, her personal life now appears equally murky. Though she finalized a divorce from Kenneth Thornby in 2022, Massachusetts property records and recent photos suggest she may now be married to Andrew Cabot, CEO of Privateer Rum. The pair co-own a home in New Hampshire and appear in multiple family photos together with two children. Notably, Kristin is seen wearing a wedding ring in several of them.
The Alyssa Stoddard Mix-Up: Astronomer Quashes False Twitter Rumors
In the whirlwind aftermath, social media added fuel to the fire by misidentifying the woman next to Kristin in the kiss cam footage as Astronomer employee Alyssa Stoddard, who reports to Cabot. On Friday, the company issued a sharp correction via LinkedIn.
“Alyssa Stoddard was not at the event and no other employees were in the video,” the company stated. “This is a rumor started on Twitter. There may be some similarities in the countenance of the person, but it’s not [Stoddard].”
The company reiterated that an investigation had already been launched and that Byron and Cabot had both been placed on leave pending its outcome. That process was still underway when Byron suddenly resigned on Saturday, cutting short what was likely to become a prolonged public spectacle.
Damage Control at Warp Speed: DeJoy Steps In
Interim CEO Pete DeJoy now finds himself at the helm of a company in crisis. Astronomer’s name has become synonymous with corporate scandal virtually overnight. Still, the company insists the core of their business remains strong.
“While awareness of our company may have changed overnight, our product and our work for our customers have not,” the company said. “We’re continuing to do what we do best: helping our customers with their toughest data and AI problems.”
For a company previously known only to insiders in the data infrastructure space, the exposure has been both a curse and, oddly, a kind of grotesque marketing miracle. Astronomer has trended multiple times on Twitter and TikTok, with thousands of memes, reaction videos, and hot takes flooding the timeline.
But behind the laughter, the fallout is real and personal. Two high-powered executives are gone. Marriages may be in tatters. A company’s reputation now dangles on the edge of a tightrope strung between data science and damage control.
