Kristin Cabot, the Chief People Officer at US data and AI startup Astronomer, has resigned just days after a viral video featuring her and the company’s now-former CEO, Andy Byron, caused a media storm.
The resignation was confirmed by Astronomer in a statement to the BBC and comes on the heels of Byron’s own departure last week following public backlash and an internal investigation. The company had initially placed Byron on administrative leave after the video surfaced, but stopped short of naming those involved.
The video, reportedly filmed at a Coldplay concert, went viral on social media and quickly became a trending topic, spawning memes, speculation, and widespread commentary. While the BBC did not independently verify the individuals in the clip, many reports identified the two executives as Byron and Cabot.
Cabot’s resignation marks the second high-profile exit in under a week for the Cincinnati-based firm, which specialises in data, analytics, and artificial intelligence.
In the wake of the scandal, Astronomer has appointed co-founder and Chief Product Officer Pete DeJoy as interim CEO. In a message to employees and stakeholders, DeJoy acknowledged the intense public attention, writing:
“The events of the past few days have received a level of media attention that few companies – let alone startups in our small corner of the data and AI world – ever encounter.”
While neither Cabot nor Byron has publicly commented on the incident, their exits have thrust the relatively low-profile startup into the global spotlight.
Astronomer has not indicated whether additional internal actions will follow, but emphasised its focus on business continuity and supporting its team through the controversy.