Move over, typical press statements. This one’s different—and hilarious.
Astronomer, the tech company recently thrust into the spotlight after two of its employees were caught “getting cozy” during a Coldplay show, has turned the entire scandal into comedic gold by hiring Gwyneth Paltrow as their “temporary spokesperson.” Yes, you read that right.
🎤 The Viral Moment
During a recent Coldplay show, Chris Martin (yes, Gwyneth’s ex) featured a pair of concertgoers on the jumbotron—and fans quickly realized they looked a little too affectionate. Chris quipped, “Looks like they’re having an affair.” Turns out, he wasn’t joking: the two in the video were later identified as Astronomer’s CEO, Andy Byron, and CPO Kristin Cabot. Both have since departed the company after an internal investigation sparked by the uproar.
✌️ Enter Gwyneth
In the plot twist no one saw coming, Gwyneth posted a video on Astronomer’s official channels announcing her role. She kicked off with:
“Hi, I’m Gwyneth Paltrow. I’ve been hired on a very temporary basis to speak for the 300-plus employees at Astronomer.”
She acknowledged the scandal and then, in deadpan style, redirected the conversation:
“Yes! Astronomer is the best place to run Apache Airflow… We’ve been thrilled to see so much interest in data automation.”
Fans went wild—and not just for the scandal. The takeover of Astronomer’s crisis with a dose of wit was hailed as a PR masterstroke. Tweets and Reddit comments praised the move:
“Turning a scandal into a PR moment by bringing in Chris Martin’s ex? That’s wizardry.” “You make the viral moment your marketing moment. Bravo.”
Comments ranged from “This is so unserious, I love it” to “Their PR team deserves a vacation—far from any Coldplay concert.”
✅ Crisis, Meet Comedy
Rather than apologize or issue a dour statement, Astronomer leaned into humor and turned controversy into click-worthy content. The campaign elevated the brand visibility—even overshadowing the scandal itself.
👀 What’s Next?
Nope, Chris Martin hasn’t chimed in yet. But as fans wait for his reaction, Gwyneth’s unexpected spokesperson gig keeps the conversation alive. Now it’s your turn: what do you think of this bold strategy? Drop your thoughts in the comments.
TL;DR: Astronomer’s CEO gets caught in a viral scandal, resigns. They hire Gwyneth Paltrow to speak for the company. Internet calls it PR genius.
