Did Alyssa Stoddard, the 'embarrassed girl' in viral Coldplaygate video, know about Andy Byron’s alleged extramarital affair; how long has she known Kristin Cabot

The recent Andy Byron and Kristin Cabot 'kiss cam' incident at a Coldplay concert did more than spark a viral meme: it catapulted Astronomer, a rapidly growing tech company, and its top HR leaders into an intense public and workplace controversy.

Central to the viral moment was Alyssa Stoddard, the senior HR executive who appeared in the video alongside CEO Andy Byron and Chief People Officer Kristin Cabot. As the third person standing beside them, Alyssa was seen smiling and laughing when the kiss cam spotlighted the trio, a detail that fueled speculation about whether she was aware of the alleged affair and comfortable with the situation.

The viral kiss cam moment

On July 16, 2025, during a Coldplay concert at Boston's Gillette Stadium, Astronomer CEO Andy Byron and Chief People Officer Kristin Cabot were caught on the stadium’s “kiss cam.” The pair were seen cuddling before both awkwardly pulled away as the camera zoomed in.


Alongside them stood Alyssa Stoddard, whose smiling and laughing demeanor in the moment contrasted with the awkwardness of Byron and Cabot, making some viewers interpret her presence as a sign of prior knowledge or acceptance of the dynamics unfolding.

Coldplay frontman Chris Martin quipped, “Either they’re having an affair or they’re just very shy,” turning a fleeting moment into a viral wave that rapidly spread across TikTok and X (formerly Twitter), amassing over 20 million views in 24 hours. The fallout led to intense scrutiny of Astronomer’s executive team and public questions about company culture and HR oversight.

A record spanning years, not just Astronomer

Contrary to the assumption that Alyssa Stoddard and Kristin Cabot only recently began working together, their professional relationship actually dates way back. They first worked alongside each other at ObserveIT, where from 2019, Alyssa led people strategy while Kristin managed talent acquisition—laying a foundation for their collaborative approach to people strategy. Their partnership continued at Proofpoint between 2019 and 2021, with both holding senior positions in the human resource department,followed by joining again at Neo4j for almost 4 years before reuniting at Astronomer in 2024.

Did Alyssa Stoddard know about the alleged affair?

Despite their longstanding history and close workplace proximity, there is no verified public information or credible report that Alyssa Stoddard had knowledge of the alleged affair between Andy Byron and Kristin Cabot before the now-infamous kiss cam incident. Most speculation has arisen online, with no substantiated evidence or official statement from the company or the individuals involved.