The CEO caught hugging his HR chief at a Coldplay show has been placed on leave during a formal investigation
- Astronomer CEO Andy Byron and his chief people officer, Kristin Cabot are being investigated by their board after after a video of them snuggled up took the internet by storm. An Astronomer spokesperson told Fortune the CEO has been placed on leave.
Astronomer, the tech company at the center of a viral internet controversy in which the married CEO embraced his chief people officer at a Coldplay concert where it was featured on a jumbotron, announced it launched a formal investigation.
The Astronomer board is digging into the conduct of CEO Andy Byron and chief people officer Kristin Cabot and will reveal additional details soon, the company posted in a statement on LinkedIn and X. In the interim, the board has placed Byron on leave, a spokesperson told Fortune, and chief product officer Pete DeJoy is serving as interim CEO in the meantime.
“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’s announcement read. “The Board of Directors has initiated a formal investigation into this matter and we will have additional details to share very shortly.”
The response was posted to both platforms on Friday. It received more than 700 reactions on LinkedIn almost immediately. Astronomer clarified in its post that an employee speculated to have also been at the Boston Coldplay concert with Byron and Cabot was not at the event. The company similarly refuted any alleged statements circulated online said to have been made by Byron or Astronomer as incorrect.
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.
— Astronomer (@astronomerio) July 18, 2025
The Board of Directors has initiated a formal investigation into this matter and we will have additional… pic.twitter.com/rfrAQ5bygy
Byron and Cabot’s concert hug rose to internet fame and sparked widespread affair allegations on Thursday after a clip, posted on TikTok, showed the CEO holding his subordinate in his arms at the Gillette Stadium show. Byron is seen in the video clutching Cabot from behind as the pair smiles and sways in the crowd. Coldplay frontman Chris Martin can be heard saying “Oh look at these two,” as they appear on the jumbotron, only for Cabot to quickly cover her face and turn away while Byron ducks to avoid the cameras.
Martin responded to their behavior, “Either they’re having an affair or they’re very shy” as the crowd cheered. The band played at the Boston venue on Tuesday and Wednesday night.
After the video went viral, it was revealed that Byron is legally married to Megan Kerrigan Byron. He and Kerrigan appear to have two sons. As for Cabot, public records suggest she has been married at least once. Her current marital status, however, could not be confirmed.
At many public and private companies, relationships between a CEO and another employee are prohibited because they can be viewed as coercive by their very nature. They can also disrupt morale and lead to allegations of unfair treatment.
Byron became CEO of Astonomer in 2023, whereas Cabot, according to her now-defunct LinkedIn, joined Astronomer in November 2024.
Astronomer is a private data infrastructure and operations company that achieved unicorn status in 2022 with a $1 billion or more valuation. The company recently moved its headquarters to New York City, and secured $93 million in series D funding in a round led by Bain Capital Ventures and Salesforce Ventures.
This story was originally featured on Fortune.com