Why Is Kristin Cabot Still At Astronomer While Andy Byron Resigned? Details Inside!
The now-infamous clip showed company CEO Andy Byron with his arm around HR chief Kristin Cabot at the coldplay concert!
Astronomer, the U.S.-based data company, has been under the spotlight ever since a kiss cam moment at a Coldplay concert went viral. The now-infamous clip showed company CEO Andy Byron with his arm around HR chief Kristin Cabot during the band’s Boston show. While Byron has since resigned, Cabot remains employed, leading many to question why the same consequences haven’t applied to both.
The clip quickly spread across social media after the two appeared on the venue’s kiss cam. When Coldplay’s Chris Martin joked about the moment, implying the pair might be having an affair, the internet took notice. Public backlash followed, and soon, Byron was placed on leave before officially stepping down. However, Cabot, who was also sent on leave, has yet to face the same fate.
Why hasn’t Astronomer fired Kristin Cabot?
A report by India Today revealed that legal and HR experts say the answer lies in internal policy, legal contracts, and the need for thorough investigation. “You can’t just fire someone based on public outrage,” said employment attorney Nicole Brenecki in a statement quoted by the New York Post. “Companies the size of Astronomer have legal obligations. If HR signed off on anything inappropriate, it has to be investigated first and that takes time.”
Another lawyer, William Cafaro, suggested Cabot might currently be negotiating an exit deal behind the scenes. “If you look up ‘cause for firing’ in the dictionary, you’d probably find a senior HR executive getting involved with the CEO on camera,” he said bluntly.
Cabot joined Astronomer in late 2024. She is married to Andrew Cabot, owner of Privateer Rum, and was previously divorced in 2022. Some reports speculated she might claim harassment, given Byron was her superior. However, experts don’t see a strong case. “Unless there was pressure or coercion involved, it’s hard to argue harassment,” Brenecki added. “Being embarrassed at a concert isn’t the same as being harassed at work.”
As of now, an internal investigation is still underway. Astronomer’s interim CEO Pete DeJoy acknowledged the intense media coverage in a LinkedIn post, calling the moment “surreal” and saying the company had “become a household name overnight.”
Founded in Cincinnati, Astronomer specializes in managing large-scale data pipelines and has quietly become a major player in the backend infrastructure of AI, sports analytics, and more, until now, mostly outside of public attention.
First Published: July 23, 2025 12:21 PM
