Conservative commentator Jack Posobiec has claimed that the criticism directed at former Astronomer CEO Andy Byron was less about the alleged affair caught on camera and more about his identity as a straight, white executive.
Speaking on his platform following Byron’s resignation, Posobiec said the viral outrage had more to do with political leanings than personal conduct.
“You saw all those CEO memes this weekend. The Coldplay thing. The affair angle. But really, it’s about the left hating CEOs,” Posobiec said. “And specifically, straight white CEOs.”
Byron stepped down days after a concert video from Boston’s Coldplay show appeared online, showing him and Astronomer’s head of human resources, Kristin Cabot, cuddling and attempting to shield their faces from a kiss cam.
Both are married. The incident sparked widespread online speculation and criticism.
Following public backlash, Astronomer placed both Byron and Cabot on administrative leave. Byron resigned shortly after.
Pete DeJoy has since been named interim CEO. In a company-wide message, he acknowledged the attention the startup had received over the incident.
“This weekend has been unusual and surreal,” DeJoy wrote. “We’re now widely known in ways we wouldn’t have chosen.”
Posobiec used the moment to draw comparisons with Democratic candidates like Zohran Mamdani in New York City and Omar Fateh in Minneapolis.
Read more: Kristin Cabot Took $1.6M Mortgage with Husband Amid Affair Allegations with CEO Andy Byron
“These guys offer free stuff and talk about taking from white people and CEOs,” he said.
He claimed the Coldplay video would not have triggered the same response had Byron and Cabot been from a different racial or sexual background.
“If that wasn’t a white couple, if they weren’t straight, you wouldn’t have seen this kind of reaction,” Posobiec said.
Neither Byron nor Cabot has issued a personal statement since the video surfaced.
Astronomer, a data orchestration startup, has not publicly addressed the substance of the affair rumors, focusing instead on internal leadership changes and team well-being.
