Coldplay kiss-cam couple twist: ‘Laughed at the memes'
Pete DeJoy, the man hired to temporarily take over Astronomer CEO's Andy Byron's duties, had a subtle but interesting reaction to an ex-staffer admitting he's laughed at Mr Byron's expense following his scandal.
Mr Byron and Kristen Cabot, both executives ta Astronomer, went global after they were caught embarking on a kiss-cam at a Coldplay concert last week. The pair then fled the camera's gaze. Mr Byron is married.
Astronomer has now announced an investigation into the incident with Mr De Joy stepping into to head the data firm.
Astronomer announced on Friday that Pete DeJoy was named interim CEO after Andy Byron was put on leave. Picture: X
Byron was suspended after he was caught allegedly cheating on his wife at a Coldplay concert in footage that went viral. Picture: Supplied
Mr DeJoy 'liked' a LinkedIn post from Zachary Hensley — who was the vice president of technology and operations at Astronomer from 2019 to 2024 — in which he admitted, 'Yes, I've laughed at the memes', reports Page Six.
The former staffer shared, however, that he had mixed feelings about the entire ordeal, adding, 'But I also know Astronomer is more than one moment or one person. It's a team of smart, kind, driven people doing incredible work. And I'll always be rooting for them.'
Mr Hensley noted in his post that despite seeing all of the memes and having shared 'more than a few,' he 'felt a strange mix of pride, nostalgia, and whiplash' before gushing about his time at the tech company.
He concluded his lengthy post by writing, 'To the Astronomer crew — past and present — I love y'all. Keep going. Keep building. You've got this'.
Mr DeJoy's reaction to the post appears to signify that much of what Mr Hensley said resonated with him.
The former colleagues seem to share a close bond. Mr Hensley wrote via LinkedIn on Friday in response to the news that Mr DeJoy had been named Astronomer's interim CEO, 'Pete DeJoy is amazing. I'm so excited for him. Love you Petey'.
According to his LinkedIn page, Mr DeJoy has worked at Astronomer for eight years, with his most recent role being chief product officer. He has also worked as a vice president of product and is a co-founder.
A spokesman for Astronomer confirmed to Page Six via email late on Friday night that: 'Cofounder and Chief Product Officer Pete DeJoy is currently serving as interim CEO given Andy Byron has been placed on leave. We will share more details as appropriate in the coming days.'
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Mr Byron and Astronomer's chief people officer Kristin Cabot were temporarily suspended from the company after they went viral for canoodling at a Coldplay concert earlier this week.
The two co-workers were caught on a jumbotron camera at a Boston show on Wednesday cosily hugging each other, but when they realised they were on the screen, they immediately hid in shame.
It was then revealed after Mr Byron is married to a woman named Megan Kerrigan Byron, who has since removed his last name from her Facebook and deactivated her social media accounts.
Ms Cabot divorced her first husband, Kenneth Thornby, in 2022, according to Massachusetts court records obtained by The Post.
However, it appears she may now be married to Privateer Rum's CEO Andrew Cabot, since they share the same last name and are co-owners of the same house in New Hampshire.
Zachary Hensley wrote the post that DeJoy 'liked'. Picture: LinkedIn
In it, he admitted he'd 'laughed at the memes'. Picture: LinkedIn
Neither Mr Byron nor Ms Cabot have commented on the affair allegations, but Astronomer released an official statement on Friday, revealing the company had launched a formal investigation into the matter.
'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,' the statement read.
'The Board of Directors has initiated a formal investigation into this matter and we will have additional details to share very shortly.'
This article originally appeared in Page Six and was reproduced with permission.
Originally published as Coldplay kiss-cam couple twist: 'Laughed at the memes'
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