Bethenny Frankel Slams Astronomer CEO Andy Byron For Coldplay Concert Fiasco: 'The Heck Were You Thinking?'

Former "Real Housewives of New York City" star Bethenny Frankel recently shared some choice words for Astronomer CEO Andy Byron, who has been embroiled in controversy since being seen cuddling his company's HR Chief, Kristin Cabot, on the "kiss cam" during a Coldplay concert.

On TikTok, Frankel, 54, slammed Byron for his lack of discretion at a concert for a "mainstream" band.

“What’s wrong with a Motel 6? Who could you not run into at a Coldplay concert?” the reality star asked her followers, referring to the viral clip of Byron ducking behind a fixture when Coldplay's "kiss cam" landed on him and his alleged mistress.

“Who could you not run into at a Coldplay concert? Your third-grade teacher, your gynecologist, your college fraternity brother, your daughter’s cheerleading captain. It’s not like it’s a Metallica concert," she continued.

Frankel drove her point home by saying that Byron and Cabot could have also run into "Dan from accounting" and "Jane from [human resources]" there as well.

“Like, what the f-ck were you thinking?” she asked, adding, "Dude, Astronomer, the 'Sky Full of Stars' that's for shizzle. What the f-ck?"

Under Frankel's TikTok video, her followers joined her in commenting on the fiasco, with one writing, "Baby, she WAS Jane from HR."

Someone else commented, "Coldplay haven't made a single in years, last night, they made 2."

Another one of Frankel's followers agreed with her, adding that going to "a Coldplay concert is like going to the neighborhood grocery store."

A fourth fan echoed that sentiment, writing, "I literally ran into a coworker I hadn't seen in a decade at a Coldplay concert."

In the viral clip, Coldplay's lead singer, Chris Martin, can be heard seemingly regretting the incident in real time.

At the beginning of the clip, when Byron and Cabot hid their faces from the camera, Martin told the audience, "Either they're having an affair, or they're just very shy."

Later, Martin told the crowd, "I don't know what to do" before adding, "Oh sh-t, I hope we didn't do something bad."

Ironically, in November 2024, Byron, whose previous employment history includes high-level leadership positions at companies such as Fuze and BMC Software, spoke highly of Cabot, who was appointed to her position as Chief People Officer at Astronomer.

In his statement, Byron boasted about Cabot's "exceptional leadership and deep expertise in talent management [and] employee management."

Byron continued, calling Cabot a "proven leader at multiple growth-stage companies" and highlighting her "passion for fostering diverse, collaborative workplaces."

In that press release, Cabot also commented on her new position and said, “I prefer to think of my role as people strategy versus traditional human resources, as the real magic happens when you align the people strategy with the business strategy."

She continued, “There are plenty of companies out there where a leadership team doesn’t recognize the value that a strong people leader and people team can bring to a company. It’s not just about benefits or catered lunches. There’s so much more to it, and I was energized in my conversations with Andy and the Astronomer leadership team about the opportunities that exist here.”

According to PEOPLE, a spokesperson for Astronomer has since confirmed that Byron has "been placed on leave," with other employees stepping into interim roles for the time being.

In a statement shared on their social media pages, Astronomer also confirmed the company has launched an official 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 company said on Friday, July 18, 2025. “The Board of Directors has initiated a formal investigation into this matter and we will have additional details to share very shortly.”

The company also addressed different claims that state other Astronomer workers were present at the concert, adding, "... no other employees were in the video."