Just-promoted VP of HR identified by internet sleuths as woman on Coldplay kiss cam

The tech firm where a married CEO was allegedly having an affair with his HR chief, will launch an investigation into the matter, as a second woman has been named.

The embarrassed woman captured on the Coldplay “kiss cam” with a two-timing tech honcho and his mistress employee has been identified by internet sleuths as the vice president of the company’s human resources division — who was promoted just days before attending the concert with the alleged adulterers.

Alyssa Stoddard, whose brand new title is Vice President of People at Astronomer, was caught on the jumbotron footage blushing and smiling nervously as the apparent cheaters scrambled to hide their faces at the show in Foxborough Massachusetts, Wednesday night, according to the online detectives.

Stoddard was promoted to the powerful position at the tech-and-data firm by Kristin Cabot, the company’s chief of HR — who was exposed canoodling with the company’s CEO Andy Byron.

The Post has not independently identified Stoddard, who did not respond to messages requesting comment Friday.

Coldplay kiss cam jumbotron captures executives and employee on camera. Picture: Supplied

Alyssa Stoddard. Picture: LinkedIn

Stoddard has followed Cabot to multiple companies and the two have been professionally linked for years.

She was first hired by Cabot five months ago as head of People Operations and Strategy, and her promotion was announced by Cabot last week in a glowing LinkedIn post.

“I’m incredibly proud to share that Alyssa Soddard has been promoted to VP of People at Astronomer,” Cabot wrote, according to a screen grab taken before she deleted her LinkedIn account.

“I’ve had the true privilege of working with Alyssa at four different companies over the years — and every time she has brought an extraordinary mix of empathy, operational excellence and unwavering integrity.”

Coldplay’s ‘kiss cam’ zeroes in on mortified tech CEO Andy Byron and alleged HR-chief mistress Kristin Cabot. Picture: TikTok

Stoddard announced that she’d been hired five months ago in a LinkedIn post that has since been flooded with nasty comments.

“I’ve joined Kristin Cabot (Thornby) and the amazing People team at Astronomer, leading People Operations and Strategy! I’m honoured to be part of this journey and can’t wait to see what lies ahead!” she wrote in the post.

“Here’s to new beginnings and exciting opportunities.”

“Not a good look to knowingly condone affairs,” one observer slammed in the comments section after the scandal broke.

“Way to go! You were hired to keep the secrets and failed five months into the job,” another snapped.

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 Board of Directors has initiated a formal investigation into this matter and we will have additional… pic.twitter.com/rfrAQ5bygy

— Astronomer (@astronomerio) July 18, 2025

However, Astronomer, the employer of the involved parties, has denied she was at the concert, and says it has launched an investigation into the embarrassing incident, suggesting the intimate relationship was unknown to the firm’s board.

“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 tech-and-data firm said in a statement.

“The Board of Directors has initiated a formal investigation into this matter and we will have additional details to share very shortly.”

Meanwhile, Australian singer Conrad Sewell, who is currently on a tour of regional Aussie cities, has penned and performed a hilarious parody song about the incident which he calls Took My Side Chick Down to Coldplay.

The Start Again crooner posted the video, complete accoustic accompaniment, to his Instagram account to the delight of his fans.

It comes as the apparent wife of the tech tycoon exposed for having an “affair” with a co-worker on a jumbotron at a Coldplay concert raked in support online with fans cheering her decision to delete her married name from her Facebook page.

As the drama became instant water cooler fodder around the world, internet sleuths quickly identified Megan Kerrigan Byron as the jilted wife of Astronomer CEO Andy Byron, who was caught cuddling with his head of HR, Kristin Cabot, at the show.

Online commenters urged Kerrigan to laugh all the way to the bank.

“Andy Byron‘s wife has now dropped her married name on Facebook and left comments open on her Facebook!” wrote X user Mrs SpaceX.

“What a class act! Go Megan. Get that divorce lawyer and get the money.”

“Get that check, girl” another user wrote.

Megan Kerrigan Byron is married to Astronomer CEO Andy Byron. Picture: Facebook

Kerrigan deleted her Facebook page Thursday but screenshots show she removed her married name – Byron – from it earlier in the day. She also deleted her Instagram account.

“Sorry you’re going through this,” another supporter wrote on her Facebook account earlier in the day.

Cabot and her ex-husband, Kenneth Thornby, filed for divorce in 2018 and the split was finalised in 2022, according to Massachusetts court records.

It’s unclear if she has since remarried, but the former couple has at least one child, as Thornby was made to pay child support.

Byron and Cabot scrambled to hide their faces when an image of them canoodling appeared on a jumbotron at the Coldplay concert in Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on Wednesday night.

Chris Martin got caught up in the debacle. Picture: Getty Images

“Oh, what?” lead singer Chris Martin can be heard declaring with confusion on stage, according to TikTok footage. “Either they’re having an affair or they’re just very shy.”

The Coldplay fan who accidentally exposed apparent affair had a blunt message for the canoodling pair: “Play stupid games … win stupid prizes.”

Grace Springer, 28, filmed the now-viral moment and uploaded it to TikTok in a clip now seen close to 50 million times.

Grace Springer (right) pictured at the Coldplay gig before she caught the awkward moment of Andy Byron with Kristin Cabot on the kiss cam. Picture: Instagram

“I had no idea who the couple was,” the Coldplay megafan told the US Sun.

Ms Springer “just thought I caught an interesting reaction to the kiss cam and decided to post it” – with no idea how mega-viral it would soon go.

“F***ing hell, it’s me,” Byron appeared to say in the video, while his HR chief appeared to mouth, “This is awkward.”

As Ms Springer’s clip exploded on social media, online sleuths quickly identified that Byron appeared to be married to Megan Kerrigan Byron, while Cabot had recently divorced her husband, Kenneth Thornby.

Andy Byron CEO of the AI-centric New York firm Astronomer. Picture: Astronomer

Kristin Cabot is the human resources officer at Astronomer. Picture: LinkedIn

“I hope their partners can heal from this and get a second chance at the happiness they deserve with their future still in front of them,” Ms Springer said.

“I hope, for them, my video was a blessing in disguise.”

A second clip from the same Coldplay concert which has since emerged shows Martin wasted no time poking fun at another couple.

Chris Martin: Are you two a legitimate couple?

😭 pic.twitter.com/yCs7EMVhHm

— Vero (@verorev13) July 17, 2025

The 48-year-old musician mocked his own gaffe later on in the show once the Jumbotron showed another couple at the concert.

“OK, listen, are you two a couple? Are you two a legitimate couple?” he quipped, according to the fan-recorded video on X and YouTube.

“Do you understand English? Hablas Español? OK, I’m just going to risk it,” Martin added.

This story originally appeared in The New York Post.

Originally published as Just-promoted VP of HR identified by internet sleuths as woman on Coldplay kiss cam