Astronomer chief executive Andy Byron has been placed on leave following a formal investigation launched after viral footage showed him in an embrace with the company’s head of human resources at a Coldplay concert in Massachusetts.
The $1.3 billion software firm confirmed on Friday evening that co-founder and chief product officer Pete DeJoy has assumed the role of interim CEO whilst the board conducts its investigation into the incident that has captivated social media and thrust the previously low-profile tech company into an unwanted spotlight.
The controversy erupted after Byron, 50, and chief people officer Kristin Cabot were caught on camera during Coldplay’s Music of the Spheres tour performance at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough on Wednesday night. The pair were shown with Byron’s arms wrapped around Cabot as they smiled and sang along to the British band’s performance.
When they realised they were on camera they quickly disentangle, Byron ducks out of view while Cabot turns around before eventually moving out of the shot. The moment was broadcast to the stadium’s capacity crowd and captured by concertgoer Grace Springer, 28, from New Jersey, whose video quickly went viral across social media platforms.
Either they’re having an affair or they’re just very shy,” Coldplay frontman Chris Martin quipped to the audience, drawing laughter from the crowd of over 65,000. A later clip showed Martin appearing mortified, nervously telling the audience: “I hope we didn’t do something bad…”
Company Takes Swift Action
“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 company stated on LinkedIn. The board’s formal investigation was announced within 48 hours of the incident, though sources familiar with the matter told Axios that Byron’s exit package negotiations contributed to delays in the official response.
The New York-based data orchestration company, which specialises in Apache Airflow technology and counts major banks and Fortune 10 companies amongst its clients, had been experiencing significant growth under Byron’s leadership. The company secured $93 million in Series D funding led by Bain Capital Ventures in May 2025, achieving a valuation between $1.2 billion and $1.3 billion.
Internet sleuths quickly identified the pair after the video circulated online, noting that Byron is married to Megan Kerrigan Byron, with whom he has two children. Kerrigan, who works as Associate Director of Lower School Admission at Bancroft School, reportedly deactivated her social media accounts shortly after the footage emerged.
False Statement Adds to Confusion
The situation was further complicated when a fabricated apology statement, purporting to be from Byron, circulated online on Thursday. The ‘fake’ statement read: ‘I want to acknowledge the moment that’s been circulating online, and the disappointment it’s caused.’ The company quickly confirmed that Byron had not released any statement and that reports suggesting otherwise were incorrect.
The false statement even included a reference to Coldplay lyrics, ending with: “As a friend once sang: ‘Lights will guide you home, and ignite your bones, and I will try to fix you.'”
Astronomer co-founder and chief product officer Pete DeJoy is currently serving as interim CEO, the company announced late Friday. Sources indicate that both Byron and Cabot have been placed on leave pending the investigation’s outcome, though the company has only officially confirmed Byron’s suspension.
Rapid Rise to CEO
Byron had joined Astronomer as CEO in July 2023 after serving as president of cybersecurity startup Lacework, which had secured $1.3 billion in funding in 2021. His appointment came after a period as entrepreneur-in-residence at Sutter Hill Ventures, one of Astronomer’s investors.
All of our investors are committed to Astronomer’s long-term vision because of our recent momentum, the massive market demand for the platform we’re building, and the macro tailwinds that support our vision,” Byron had stated just two months ago when announcing the latest funding round.
Cabot joined the company nine months ago as chief people officer. Byron praised Cabot in November after her hiring, saying in a statement that she has “deep expertise in talent management” and has “exceptional leadership.” At the time, Cabot described her role as focusing on “people strategy versus traditional human resources.
Public Relations Disaster
Communications professionals have criticised the company’s response as inadequate. “In situations like this, you have to distinguish between the company’s response and the CEO’s personal response,” Andrew Koneschusky, founder and CEO of Beltway Advisors, told Axios. “Their reputations may be linked, but their interests may diverge.”
The incident has generated unprecedented attention for the relatively unknown software company. In the past 24 hours, more than 22,000 news articles were written about Astronomer and roughly 9,000 were written about Byron, according to data from Muck Rack. Search queries for the company skyrocketed far beyond any previous levels.
Former Astronomer CEO Ry Walker, now chief executive of Tembo, weighed in on the controversy when asked about Byron’s character. “[I] answered a couple questions today privately, [but] figure I should post it here as well since I can’t respond to everyone individually,” Walker posted on X. “I’ve found Andy to be professional, [but] I’ve only ever been on a call with him once.”
Impact on Company Operations
The scandal comes at a critical time for Astronomer, which had been reporting 150 per cent year-over-year revenue growth and was on a two-year path to profitability. The company’s Astro platform has become increasingly vital as artificial intelligence adoption accelerates, with the software helping organisations automate and process data workflows across different systems.
Grace Springer, who filmed the now-viral clip, expressed mixed feelings about the impact. “I had no idea who the couple was. Just thought I caught an interesting reaction to the kiss cam and decided to post it,” she told The U.S. Sun. “A part of me feels bad for turning these people’s lives upside down, but, play stupid games… win stupid prizes.”
The incident has sparked widespread mockery on social media, with one user writing: “Coldplay hasn’t made a single in years. Last night they made two.” Another added: “What’s worse, finding out your spouse is cheating or that they’re a fan of Coldplay?”
As the investigation continues, questions remain about the future leadership of the rapidly growing tech company and the potential impact on its ambitious expansion plans. The company stated it would share additional details “as appropriate in the coming days.”
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