When a Kiss Cam Becomes a Crisis: What Modern Brands Can Learn from the Astronomer HR Scandal

A single resignation post a few days ago caused a lot of noise on social media. It did start with a kiss cam shot. At a Coldplay concert in Vienna, a funny moment on the kiss cam turned into a full-blown business disaster. Kristin Cabot, the Chief People Officer of the U.S. tech company Astronomer, kissed the company's CEO, Andy Byron, in a video that went viral on TikTok. What seemed like a harmless moment quickly turned into headlines, raising questions about workplace ethics, the limits of leadership, and the honesty of HR. Cabot quit within days, and Astronomer was in the news for its people, not its product. It wasn't a politician quitting or a celebrity quitting a movie. It was an employee from a well-known brand who publicly explained why they were leaving. The letter stated that there was poor communication, toxic leadership, and a culture of fear. What was once a private HR issue quickly became a story that made headlines around the world. It was shared by millions of people within hours, sparking heated discussions on many platforms and leading to numerous crisis meetings within the company.

It's a new reality: HR is no longer out of sight. The culture inside is now public.

But we've seen this before. The trend is getting stronger. When Employees' Voices Make the News! Let's take a moment to look back at some recent events in the business world that were similar:

• Timnit Gebru and Google (2020–2021): Timnit Gebru, one of Google's top AI ethics researchers, stated that she was let go after she raised ethical concerns about the company's AI systems. Her departure sparked a public discussion about bias in the tech industry, promoting a more welcoming workplace and encouraging people to speak out against the company. It wasn't just a problem with employees for Google; it was a problem with their brand.

• Emily Weiss quits Glossier (2022): Weiss's resignation as CEO was presented in a positive light, but it followed months of complaints from former employees about a toxic work environment, racial inequality, and poor management. Before the press releases, reviews on Glassdoor and Reddit were already changing how people saw the brand.

• Better.com CEO's Zoom Call About Mass Layoffs (2021): Vishal Garg, the CEO, famously fired 900 people over Zoom, saying they were "unproductive." The backlash occurred immediately and worldwide. Investors stopped giving money, employees quit on their own, and the brand was called heartless and out of touch.

• Nike's Workplace Culture Exposure (2018): After years of being the best, Nike had to face a big problem when internal surveys and complaints showed that bullying and gender discrimination were common in the company. Several executives had to leave. To save its reputation, the brand had to do a complete overhaul of its business.

• These are just a few of the many that are on the list.

The Modern Role of HR: Building Culture, Not Just Following Rules

HR used to be a background function that only handled hiring and benefits. HR departments are now responsible for shaping the culture, maintaining honesty, and protecting the brand's integrity. In an era where a single screenshot or internal email can make headlines, HR needs to not only react to cultural problems but also proactively plan for them, putting the company in control of its narrative. Emphasize the value of open and honest communication from the top down. This transparency is not just a buzzword, but a crucial element in maintaining a healthy workplace culture. It's a value that we should all strive to uphold.  Help leaders and employees understand each other. Handle risks to your reputation as well as risks to your business. In other words, the risks are higher, the pressure is greater, and the old rules no longer apply.

What Can Businesses Learn?

This trend of employees quitting their jobs in public, Glassdoor exposing bad behavior, and whistleblowing is only going to get worse. Companies need to urgently rethink how they set up leadership, communication, and the culture of the workplace. This is what companies that are ahead of the curve are doing now:

• Making employee experience a key part of customer experience

• What happens inside doesn't stay inside. Happy employees are better at promoting your brand.

• Putting money into training leaders to be emotionally smart

• Out with command-and-control. Being able to understand others and listen carefully are now essential skills.

• Not just policy updates, but also strategic decisions that include HR

• When HR is at the table, things that are hard to see become opportunities for growth and improvement.

• Acting before something happens, not after immense PR disasters, is 811 shoe companies' support for regular culture audits.

• The first step to ensuring your leadership lasts is to obtain the proper education.

These stories may sound like warnings, but they are also opportunities for improvement.

At Raffles Jakarta, we design our MBA programs with the needs of today's businesses in mind. Not only do we teach you how to run a business, but we also teach you how to lead people, deal with problems you can't see, and make sure that your culture matches your business goals. Our graduates get more than just a diploma. They go with:

• Crisis management frameworks for today's leaders

• Strategic HR insight built into real-life business cases

• Tools for dealing with backlash from the public and within the company

• Experience leading people from different cultures and around the world

Your following viral resignation, layoff headline, or cultural controversy might not come from your competitor. It might come from inside your own company. And when it does, the question isn't if it will go public. It's up to you.

Your Turn: How Would You Take Charge?

If your best employee quit on LinkedIn and it made the news, what would you do?

Please leave a comment or look into how our MBA program can help you learn how to lead with vision, resilience, and empathy.

Look into the Raffles Jakarta MBA Program

Arman POUREISA

Marketing Manager

Business Management Lecturer

Raffles Jakarta

Reference

Agency, G. staff and. (2021, February 20). Google fires Margaret Mitchell, another top researcher on its AI ethics team. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/feb/19/google-fires-margaret-mitchell-ai-ethics-team

Elias, J. (2025, July 24). Astronomer HR chief Kristin Cabot resigns following Coldplay “kiss cam” incident. CNBC. https://www.cnbc.com/2025/07/24/astronomer-hr-chief-kristin-cabot-resigns-after-coldplay-kiss-cam.html

Halpert, M. (2022, May 24). Emily Weiss Steps Down As Glossier CEO Months After Company Layoffs. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/madelinehalpert/2022/05/24/emily-weiss-steps-down-as-glossier-ceo-months-after-company-layoffs/

Peebles, A. (2018, May 4). Nike CEO apologizes to employees for workplace culture after months of turmoil. CNBC; CNBC. https://www.cnbc.com/2018/05/04/nike-ceo-apologizes-to-employees-for-workplace-culture-after-months-of-turmoil.html

Taylor, D. B., & Gross, J. (2021, December 8). The Better.com C.E.O. says he’s “deeply sorry” for firing workers over Zoom.. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/08/business/better-zoom-layoffs-vishal-garg.html