Astronomer hires Chris Martin's ex Gwyneth Paltrow as 'temporary spokesperson' after viral Coldplay drama

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Astronomer is attempting to move past the controversy surrounding its former CEO and former HR chief with the help of someone closely linked to the band at the center of the scandal.

The tech company, whose top executives resigned after being caught on a kiss cam at a Coldplay concert, has now brought in actress Gwyneth Paltrow, ex-wife of the band's frontman Chris Martin, as a "very temporary" spokesperson to speak on behalf of its 300+ employees.  

Gwyneth Paltrow says Astronomer wants to ‘return to what we do best’ 

In a short video shared on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday, July 25, Gwyneth Paltrow said she had been hired to help represent the company amid intense public scrutiny.

“Astronomer has gotten a lot of questions over the last few days and they wanted me to answer the most common ones,” said Paltrow in the clip.

Paltrow, presented as a "temporary spokesperson" in the video, cut off a question that started with “OMG!” to say, “Yes, Astronomer is the best place to run Apache Airflow," before adding, "We’ve been thrilled that so many people have a newfound interest in data workflow automation."

Interrupting another question that started with “How is your social media team holding...,” the 52-year-old promoted a company conference scheduled for September.  

She concluded, saying, "We will now be returning to what we do best — delivering game-changing results for our customers."

"Thank you for your interest in Astronomer," read the caption of the post. 

The company, based in New York, gained attention after former CEO Andy Byron and former HR executive Kristin Cabot were caught in an embrace at a July 16 Coldplay concert.

The pair were unexpectedly featured on the venue’s kiss cam during the show when Martin asked the cameras to highlight audience members.

“Either they’re having an affair or they’re just very shy,” Martin joked from the stage after the pair quickly turned away from the camera.

Andy Byron and Kristin Cabot resign after Coldplay kiss cam scandal

The viral moment triggered an internal investigation, and Astronomer later confirmed both Andy Byron and Kristin Cabot had resigned. 

Byron stepped down last week after the clip circulated widely online. A company spokesperson confirmed on Thursday that Cabot also left her position following the incident.

The hiring of Paltrow, who was married to Martin for 13 years, appears to be an attempt at clever brand repair — but it left many online viewers stunned.

Internet calls Astronomer’s move of hiring Gwyneth Paltrow ‘a masterclass in PR’

The internet reacted strongly to the video, with users split over the decision to involve Gwyneth Paltrow.

One X user said, “You got Chris Martin’s ex wife???!!! Savage,” while another wrote, “Astronomer, who’s CEO was caught cheating on his wife with the head of HR at a Coldplay concert, just came out with an ad, featuring Coldplay’s lead singer’s ex-wife, Gwyneth Paltrow. Yes, they think adultery and marriage is a joke… Other than that, clever marketing.”

A person remarked, “Damn, this is a masterclass in PR and Crisis control,” whereas someone who wasn't pleased with the move expressed, “Astronomer obviously doesn’t take marriage seriously. Guess they think infidelity is funny…..hiring Paltrow proves that point.”

“Hiring the ex wife of the lead Coldplay singer to deliver this message is absolutely savage Oh my goodness,” read another tweet. 

"Guys this is a PR masterclass. You take the most viral moment of July 2025 and, instead of disaster control, make light of the situation and create the ultimate brand awareness. Bravo," one more mentioned. 

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.