The interim CEO of Astronomer, Pete DeJoy, has issued his first public statement following the "Coldplay kiss-cam" incident, which propelled the data startup from relative obscurity into a whirlwind of chaos and internet meme status. Contrary to what one might expect, DeJoy's message is refreshingly straightforward, filled with gratitude, and notably devoid of the typical PR jargon.
For those who might have missed it: during Coldplay’s recent performance in Boston, Astronomer’s former CEO Andy Byron and chief people officer Kristin Cabot were seen getting a bit too cozy on the stadium's notorious kiss-cam.
When their images appeared on the Jumbotron, Cabot covered her face with her hands, and Byron nearly ducked out of sight.
Coldplay’s Chris Martin joked: “Either they’re having an affair or they’re just very shy.” This led to a social media explosion and countless replays.
It wasn’t long before internet detectives linked faces to names — and spouses. The repercussions: Byron and Cabot, both of whom are married to other people, were promptly placed on leave by Astronomer’s board, which also announced a formal investigation into the incident. Byron later resigned officially.
Posting on LinkedIn today, Pete DeJoy did not shy away from the controversy: “The events of the past few days have attracted a level of media attention that few companies — particularly startups in our niche of the data and AI sector — ever experience.”
He went on, “The attention has been unusual and surreal for our team, and, while I would never have chosen for it to happen this way, Astronomer is now a name known by many.”
DeJoy emphasized Astronomer’s resilience. “At Astronomer, we have never backed down from challenges; nearly a decade of building this company has tested us repeatedly, and each time we have come out stronger,” he stated.
“We are here because Astronomer is built by individuals who thrive on solving difficult problems, stay late to fix issues, and are deeply committed to doing things the right way.”
It's noteworthy that neither Byron nor Cabot has made any public comments since the story broke, despite the company's efforts to dispel a series of fake statements circulating online.
As for the origin of it all, Grace Springer — the fan who recorded the initial Coldplay cam clip — expressed some regret about the situation.
“I had no idea who the couple was. I just thought I captured an interesting reaction to the kiss cam and decided to share it,” she explained to the US Sun.
“Part of me feels guilty for turning these people's lives upside down, but play stupid games… win stupid prizes.”
