Astronomer launches probe into Andy Byron-Kristin Cabot viral concert cuddle

Astronomer launched a formal investigation against its CEO, Andy Byron, and Chief People Officer, Kristin Cabot, following their viral concert cuddle.

In a statement released on LinkedIn, the company confirmed: “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.”

It added: “The Board of Directors has initiated a formal investigation into this matter, and we will have additional details to share very shortly.”

The clip, filmed by concertgoer Grace Springer,  showed Byron and Cabot wrapped in an embrace at Coldplay’s Boston show, only to panic and try to hide once they appeared on the massive kiss cam screen.

The fallout was swift. Sources told Axios that both Byron and Cabot have been temporarily removed from their roles amidst internal backlash.

Co-founder Pete DeJoy has stepped in as interim CEO to steer the company through the PR storm.

Apology posts falsely attributed to Byron and Coldplay too flooded social media, with one satirical post claiming the band would introduce “camera-free zones for sidepieces.”

One man even claimed he was fired from Astronomer simply for buying the Coldplay tickets that exposed the pair.

Insiders say former employees are relishing the drama. A former direct report told The New York Post,

“The text groups and chains of former employees are like… everybody’s laughing their a** off and enjoying the hell out of what happened and him getting exposed.”

The same insider described Byron as a ‘sales-obsessed’ and ‘toxic’ leader, suggesting karma may have caught up with him in a very public way.

Despite the frenzy, Astronomer clarified: “No other employees appear in the video. We will share more details as appropriate in the coming days.”

Meanwhile, Byron has not issued any statement, and reports claiming otherwise are ‘incorrect,’ the company said.