'Astronomer Is Now A Household Name — But Not The Way We Hoped,' Says Interim CEO After Viral Coldplay Video

Just days after a video from a Coldplay concert went viral — capturing a surprising moment between Astronomer CEO Andy Byron and Chief People Officer Kristin Cabot — the company's leadership is undergoing a major shake-up. Byron has officially stepped down, and Astronomer co-founder Pete DeJoy has stepped in as interim CEO, describing the attention as “unusual and surreal.”

The video, which quickly spread across social media, showed Byron — a married father of two — and Cabot sharing an intimate exchange during the band’s crowd-favorite “Jumbotron song” segment. The footage caught the attention of Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, who jokingly told the crowd the pair were “either too shy” or “having an affair.” In a later moment, Martin was overheard saying, “Oh s**t, I hope we didn’t do something bad.”

Shortly after the clip exploded online, Byron’s wife, Megan Kerrigan, quietly removed “Byron” from her Facebook name before deactivating her account entirely — adding fuel to the public speculation.

Confirmed Resignation Of Byron

On Saturday, Astronomer confirmed Byron’s resignation in a statement posted to LinkedIn:

“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. Andy Byron has tendered his resignation, and the Board of Directors has accepted.”

Stepping into the leadership vacuum, DeJoy addressed the incident in a candid LinkedIn post that acknowledged the strange turn of events:

“I would never have wished for it to happen like this, but Astronomer is now a household name.”

DeJoy, who helped launch the Cincinnati-based company, reflected on the company’s resilience through past challenges — from navigating a pandemic-era growth spurt to weathering the collapse of the bank that once held all of its funds.

“Few companies — let alone startups in our small corner of the data and AI world — ever encounter this level of media attention,” he wrote. “But we’ve never been ones to shy away from a challenge. Every time we’ve been tested, we’ve come out stronger.”

'Won't Let You Down'

Despite the controversy, DeJoy expressed a firm commitment to stability and trust, both internally and with Astronomer’s clients:

“To our team: thank you for your resilience and commitment to building something great. And to our community and customers: thank you for your trust. We won’t let you down.”
The fallout from the viral moment has left many questioning the fine line between personal choices and professional responsibility — especially in an era where a single video can change the trajectory of a career overnight.

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