
Coldplay kiss-cam scandal: Why Astronomer CEO is out but the HR head isn't - What the law says
Andy Byron
during a Coldplay concert remains employed, even as Byron resigned swiftly in the wake of the public controversy.
Kristin Cabot, the company's Chief People Officer, is currently on leave.
While her future at the New York-based data science firm remains uncertain, legal experts suggest her dismissal may not be straightforward despite the negative publicity.
Several attorneys have indicated that there are likely contractual and procedural hurdles that must be addressed before any formal action is taken.
'In a real-world big company, you can't just fire someone because the headlines are ugly,' said attorney Nicole Brenecki, as quoted by the New York Post.
She added, 'There are likely contracts, internal investigations, and legal issues involved.'
'If HR greenlit what happened with Coldplay, and there is a supporting paper trail, heads will likely roll,' Brenecki said. 'It just might take a few more days before the axe drops.'
Cabot, who joined Astronomer in November 2024, became the center of viral attention when Coldplay frontman
Chris Martin
highlighted her and Byron on the big screen at Gillette Stadium near Boston.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Top 15 Most Beautiful Women in the World
Topgentlemen.com
Undo
The company later confirmed an internal investigation was underway.
Public scrutiny intensified after evidence emerged that both Cabot and Byron are married to other individuals.
Astronomer's interim CEO Pete DeJoy addressed the situation on LinkedIn, acknowledging the media frenzy. 'While I would never have wished for it to happen like this, Astronomer is now a household name,' he wrote.
'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,' DeJoy added.
Employment attorney William Cafaro noted that while termination may seem justified, negotiations over departure terms could be ongoing. He said the situation reflects 'a clear reason for firing someone,' and questioned whether Cabot could continue in the role given the fallout.
Douglas Wigdor, a founding partner at Wigdor LLP, suggested that undisclosed elements of the relationship may be influencing Cabot's continued employment.
'Maybe there's more to the story from her,' he said. 'That's definitely possible about how it came to be that they're at this concert and they're embracing. It's a short video so it's hard to know what exactly is going on.'
Although both Byron and Cabot held senior positions, legal experts widely dismissed the possibility of a sexual harassment claim. Brenecki said, 'Unless she was pressured into the relationship because of a power imbalance, there's not much of a case.'
'If it was consensual... a sexual harassment suit would be a stretch,' she continued. 'In fact, a jury might laugh it out of court. Being embarrassed on a jumbotron isn't the same as being harassed at work.'
Wigdor echoed the view, while noting that more details could emerge. 'She'd have to demonstrate their relationship was unwanted and I think based off what I've seen would be difficult,' he said.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)

Business Standard
22 minutes ago
- Business Standard
Startup founders can't be Batman, Superman, Mandrake combined: Shivakumar
What's changed in the past five to 10 years is the advent of consumer technology (tech), and today, consumers are using more digital services than physical ones, says Shivakumar premium Surajeet Das Gupta New Delhi Listen to This Article His just-released book, The CEO Mindset, focuses on leadership qualities in a complex world. Shiv Shivakumar, operating partner at Boston-based $500 billion private equity (PE) major Advent International — who has straddled various companies from Hindustan Lever to Aditya Birla group — talks to Surajeet Das Gupta about management challenges and business models. Edited excerpts: What is your assessment of the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on Corporate India? AI will take out aggregator jobs — for example, the executive who prepares the minutes of board meetings is gone. Most of these roles lie in middle and lower management, but


The Hindu
22 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Urgent need for 'global approach' on AI regulation: U.N. tech chief
The world urgently needs to find a global approach on regulating artificial intelligence, the United Nations' top tech chief said this week, warning that fragmentation could deepen risks and inequalities. Doreen Bogdan-Martin, head of the UN's International Telecommunications Union (ITU) agency, told AFP she hoped that AI "can actually benefit humanity". But as concerns mount over the risks posed by the fast-moving technology -- including fears of mass job losses, the spread of deepfakes and disinformation, and society's fabric fraying -- she insisted that regulation was key. "There's an urgency to try to get... the right framework in place," she said, stressing the need for "a global approach". Her comments came after U.S. President Donald Trump this week unveiled an aggressive, low-regulation strategy aimed at ensuring the United States stays ahead of China on AI. Among more than 90 proposals, Trump's plan calls for sweeping deregulation, with the administration promising to "remove red tape and onerous regulation" that could hinder private sector AI development. Asked if she had concerns about an approach that urges less, not more, regulation of AI technologies, Bogdan-Martin refrained from commenting, saying she was "still trying to digest" the US plan. Lack of AI policies or strategies "I think there are different approaches," she said. "We have the EU approach. We have the Chinese approach. Now we're seeing the U.S. approach. I think what's needed is for those approaches to dialogue," she said. At the same time, she highlighted that "85% of countries don't yet have AI policies or strategies". A consistent theme among those strategies that do exist is the focus on innovation, capacity building and infrastructure investments, Bogdan-Martin said. "But where I think the debate still needs to happen at a global level is trying to figure out how much regulation, how little regulation, is needed," she said. Bogdan-Martin, who grew up in New Jersey and has spent most of her more than three-decade career at the ITU, insisted the Geneva-based telecoms agency that sets standards for new technologies was well-placed to help facilitate much-needed dialogue on the issue. "The need for a global approach I think is critical," she said, cautioning that "fragmented approaches will not help serve and reach all". As countries and companies sprint to cement their dominance in the booming sector, there are concerns that precautions could be thrown to the wind -- and that those who lose the race or do not have the capacity to participate will be left behind. Huge gap The ITU chief hailed "mind-blowing" advances within artificial intelligence, with the potential to improve everything from education to agriculture to health care -- but insisted the benefits must be shared. Without a concerted effort, there is a risk that AI will end up standing for "advancing inequalities", she warned, cautioning against deepening an already dire digital divide worldwide. "We have 2.6 billion people that have no access to the internet, which means they have no access to artificial intelligence", Bogdan-Martin pointed out. "We have to tackle those divides if we're actually going to have something that is beneficial to all of humanity." Bogdan-Martin, the first woman to serve as ITU secretary-general in the organisation's nearly 160-year history, also stressed the need to get more women into the digital space. "We have a huge gap," she said. "We definitely don't have enough women... in artificial intelligence." The 58-year-old mother of four said it was "a big honour" to be the first woman in her position, to be "breaking the glass ceiling (and) paving the path for future generations". But she acknowledged there was a lot of pressure, "not just to achieve, but to almost overachieve". Bogdan-Martin, who is being backed by the Trump administration to stand for re-election when her four-year mandate ends next year, said she was eager to stay on for a second term. "There is a lot to do."

The Hindu
22 minutes ago
- The Hindu
New ground handling firm to be hired at Chennai airport as replacement for Turkish firm Celebi
Airports Authority of India (AAI) will bring on board a new ground handling firm in about three months at Chennai airport after the departure of the Turkish ground handling service provider Çelebi Airport Services Private Limited recently. Chennai airport currently has two firms—AI Airport Services Limited and Bird Airport Services—which airlines have been deploying for their numerous in ground handling needs like moving passenger baggage between terminal and aircraft, aircraft servicing and cleaning, support services in flight operations and maintenance among others. The company had bagged contracts for several airports like Chennai, Goa, Kochi, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi and Kannur a few years back. In the city airport, the company managed a fairly significant volume of ground handling and the airlines including US Bangla, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Scoot and SpiceJet had opted for the services of Çelebi until the license was cancelled by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS). Revoking this company's license came when security concerns emerged following military strikes and tensions between India and Pakistan. In May, when the BCAS withdrew the license to this Turkish-based firm, AAI said, airlines using their services quickly chose to go with the two other firms without causing any inconvenience for passengers. Officials of AAI said, after the ban of Çelebi, they have now issued a Request for Proposal for ground handling services at Chennai airport. 'It is a mandatory requirement from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) that major airports must have three firms for ground handling support. This way, duopoly is avoided and in case of any crisis like what happened in May, there are always two firms available at an airport and the operations are not disturbed. If only one firm is available, then the firm may scramble for manpower and as a result, baggage delivery may be delayed, and passengers will be affected. Hence, it is ideal to have three firms,' an official said.