Astronomer’s New CEO Shares Head-Scratching Statement About Company Being a ‘Household Name’ Amid Scandal

Former Astronomer CEO Andy Byron resigned after he was caught canoodling with HR chief Kristin Cabot at a Coldplay concert earlier this month.

Amid the scandal, which has since been dubbed ColdplayGate, Astronomer cofounder Pete DeJoy stepped in as interim CEO and has released a statement that suggested he was pleased with the media attention the company received from the unexpected turn of events.

“The spotlight has been unusual and surreal for our team and, while I would never have wished for it to happen like this, Astronomer is now a household name,” he wrote via LinkedIn on Monday, July 21.

“At Astronomer we have never shied away from challenges; a near-decade of building this business has tested us time and time again, and each time we’ve emerged stronger,” he continued. “We’re here because Astronomer is built by people who live to solve hard problems, stay late to fix what’s broken, and care deeply about doing things the right way.”

He ended the statement by voicing gratitude to their team for their “resilience and commitment to building something great” and promised customers that the company wouldn’t let them down in the future.

As Star previously reported, the AI company was thrust into the spotlight when Byron and Cabot – who are both reportedly married to other people – went viral for their surprising reaction to being caught cuddling on the kiss-cam at a Coldplay concert in Massachusetts on July 16.

Upon seeing themselves on the jumbotron, they immediately pulled away from each other. The disgraced ex-CEO completely ducked out of frame and Cabot hid her face in her hands.

Confused by their response, Coldplay frontman Chris Martin joked, “Either they’re having an affair or they’re just very shy.”

It’s been reported the pair have both deleted their LinkedIn profiles since the show.

Days later, Martin, 48, seemingly referenced the wild moment at a separate concert as he warned fans ahead of time that they would be shown on the jumbotron.

“We’d like to say hello to some of you in the crowd. How we’re going to do that is we’re going to use our cameras and put some of you on the big screen,” he told the audience of fans in Wisconsin on July 19. “So please, if you haven’t done your makeup, do your makeup now.”

The scandal swiftly became a major moment in pop culture, sparking countless memes and celebrity reenactments on social media – including a parody by the Philadelphia Phillies mascots at a recent baseball game.

Grace Springer, the woman who recorded the viral video, admitted in a recent interview that part of her “feels bad” for sharing the TikTok that brought Bryon and Cabot so much negative attention, but added “play stupid games… win stupid prizes.”

“I hope their partners can heal from this and get a second chance at the happiness they deserve with their future still in front of them,” the 28-year-old told The Sun. “I hope, for them, my video was a blessing in disguise.”