Astronomer CEO Andy Byron has gone viral after being caught on a kiss cam during a Coldplay concert at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. The clip shows Byron hugging Kristin Cabot, the company’s Chief People Officer, from behind. The moment quickly spread across social media, sparking affair rumors.
But it wasn't just the hug that caught attention. A third person in the video has also gone viral for her “stunned expression.” Online sleuths initially identified the woman as Alyssa Stoddard, Astronomer’s Senior Director of People, dubbing her the “embarrassed woman” caught in the middle.
One person commented on X, “The woman next to them is Alyssa Stoddard, Sr. Director of People at Astronomer. Imagine your whole HR department getting blown up at a Coldplay concert.”
Another wrote, “That's Astronomer Andy Byron along with Astronomer Chief People Officer Kristin Cabot and in disbelief is Astronomer Sr Director of People Alyssa Stoddard. Divorces definitely in the makes here plus a couple of firings I'm sure.”
Astronomer Responds: "Stoddard Was Not There"
Amid growing speculation, Astronomer released an official statement clarifying that Stoddard was not at the Coldplay concert.
{{/usCountry}}Amid growing speculation, Astronomer released an official statement clarifying that Stoddard was not at the Coldplay concert.
{{/usCountry}}"Alyssa Stoddard was not at the event and no other employees were in the video," the statement said. “The Board of Directors has initiated a formal investigation into this matter and we will have additional details to share very shortly.”
Who Is Alyssa Stoddard?
According to her LinkedIn profile, Alyssa Stoddard joined Astronomer as Sr. Director of People in January 2025. Her previous roles include Board Member at Little Sparks Project, Human Resources Business Partner at Proofpoint, and People Strategy Manager at ObserveI.
When she announced her new role at Astronomer, she wrote on LinkedIn, “I couldn't be more excited to announce that I’ve started my next adventure! I’ve joined Kristin Cabot (Thornby) and the amazing People team at Astronomer, leading People Operations and Strategy!”
“Astronomer is on a mission to deliver the world’s data, and what I’ve experienced so far has been nothing short of inspiring. I’m honored to be part of this journey and can’t wait to see what lies ahead! I also want to give heartfelt thank you to Neo4j and my incredible colleagues for the support, collaboration, and memories that made my time there so special.”
Just last week, Kristin Cabot reportedly promoted Stoddard to Vice President of People. A LinkedIn post by Cabot confirming the promotion has also surfaced online.