A surprising moment at a Coldplay concert in Boston has thrust tech startup Astronomer into an unexpected public controversy. CEO Andy Byron and HR head Kristin Cabot were caught on the venue's kiss cam, sharing what looked like an intimate moment. The short clip quickly went viral, drawing widespread media attention and public backlash.

The fallout was swift: Byron was first placed on leave and soon after stepped down from his role. Kristin Cabot, also placed on administrative leave, remains employed by the company—at least for now.

Astronomer responded with an official statement two days after the incident, confirming that its board had launched an internal investigation into the matter.

So why hasn't the company taken the same action against Cabot?

Legal experts say it’s not that simple. According to employment lawyer Nicole Brenecki, large corporations typically follow a detailed process before dismissing an employee—especially one in a senior role.

“You can’t just terminate someone over a viral headline. There are contracts, investigations, and documentation that must be considered,” she told the New York Post. “If HR formally approved the relationship and there’s a paper trail, consequences will follow—just not overnight.”

Cabot joined Astronomer in November 2024. She is married to Privateer Rum owner Andrew Cabot and was previously married to Kenneth C Thornby. Her personal relationships are now under scrutiny because of the public nature of the incident and her position as HR chief.

Attorney William Cafaro told the Post that negotiations for a possible severance deal might be ongoing. “If there were ever a textbook example of a ‘cause’ for termination, this would be it—an HR head involved with the company’s CEO in public,” he said.

Another employment attorney, Douglas Wigdor, noted that the internal review could reveal new details that shape the company's next move. “It’s a short clip. We don’t know the full story yet,” he said. “Cabot might have more to share about how and why the two were together at the concert.”

Despite speculation, legal experts believe Cabot would face difficulty if she attempted to argue sexual harassment. Because the relationship appears consensual, and unless she can prove coercion due to Byron’s seniority, such a claim likely wouldn’t hold in court.

“There’s a difference between being embarrassed on a big screen and being harassed at work,” Brenecki said. Wigdor agreed: “She’d have to show the relationship was unwelcome—and the video doesn’t seem to support that.”

Following Byron’s exit, co-founder Pete DeJoy stepped in as interim CEO. He addressed the unusual circumstances in a LinkedIn post, acknowledging the sudden media spotlight.

“This has been surreal for our team,” DeJoy wrote. “We’ve become a household name overnight—though not in the way anyone expected.”

Astronomer, founded in Cincinnati, Ohio, originally built tools around Apache Airflow, helping companies manage data workflows. It has since become a notable player in the DataOps industry, supporting backend infrastructure across a range of sectors, including sports analytics, generative AI, and autonomous vehicle development.

While the viral moment brought unprecedented visibility to the startup, it also triggered important questions about corporate behavior, power dynamics, and accountability at the top. The final outcome for Cabot will likely depend on what the internal investigation reveals in the days ahead.