As the fallout from the viral “ColdplayGate” scandal continues to engulf Astronomer, the tech company is facing new scrutiny for allegedly attempting to erase evidence of Kristin Cabot’s prominent hiring as Chief People Officer. Reports indicate that soon after the infamous “kiss cam” video of Cabot and then-CEO Andy Byron went viral, Astronomer seemingly moved to scrub digital records of her formal appointment, raising questions about transparency and damage control.
The controversy erupted on July 16, 2025, when a video from a Coldplay concert at Gillette Stadium captured Andy Byron and Kristin Cabot in an intimate embrace on the Jumbotron. The clip, and the subsequent revelation of their alleged extramarital affair, led to Byron’s swift resignation and Cabot’s eventual departure from her role as the head of the company’s human resources.
However, amidst the public uproar, social media users and online sleuths quickly noticed a peculiar development: Astronomer allegedly deleted the LinkedIn announcement post regarding Kristin Cabot’s hiring. According to the Free Press Journal and other outlets, a post titled “An Exciting Day Today,” which had celebrated Cabot’s arrival as Chief People Officer in November 2024, could no longer be viewed on LinkedIn. Attempts to access the original browser page reportedly resulted in a message stating, “This post cannot be displayed.”
This alleged act of digital “scrubbing” has fueled speculation that Astronomer was attempting to control the narrative and minimize the extent of the scandal, particularly as it involved the individual responsible for company culture and ethics. While Astronomer did issue official statements confirming Byron’s resignation and later Cabot’s departure, the alleged removal of the hiring announcement suggests an effort to actively alter online records.
Prior to the scandal, Kristin Cabot’s LinkedIn profile had been active, detailing her extensive HR leadership experience at other prominent tech firms like Neo4j, Proofpoint, and ObserveIT. In a news release announcing her hiring last November, Andy Byron himself had praised Cabot for her “exceptional leadership and deep expertise” and her “passion for fostering diverse, collaborative workplaces.” These commendations now stand in stark contrast to the circumstances surrounding her exit.
While Cabot’s LinkedIn profile was subsequently deactivated entirely, along with Andy Byron’s, the alleged deletion of the original company announcement is seen by some as a more deliberate attempt to disassociate Astronomer from the controversy surrounding its former CPO.
Astronomer has not officially commented on the alleged deletion of the LinkedIn post. The company’s focus, as stated by interim CEO Pete DeJoy, has been on assuring customers that “Our work for our customers has not changed” and that the firm remains committed to its core mission despite the “unusual and surreal” media attention.
Nevertheless, the alleged attempt to wipe clean the digital footprint of Kristin Cabot’s hiring adds another layer to the complex fallout of the “ColdplayGate” scandal. In an era where online records are meticulously preserved and scrutinized, the perceived effort to control historical narratives often backfires, drawing more attention to the very information companies might wish to disappear.