Astronomer Hired Gwyneth Paltrow To Answer Questions After The CEO Was Allegedly Caught Cheating At A Coldplay Concert

    "This is so unserious, I love it."

    Chelsea Stewart
    by Chelsea Stewart

    BuzzFeed Staff

    Today in "News You Didn't See Coming," Gwyneth Paltrow was hired at Astronomer — yes, the same company that recently went viral after two of its employees were caught "having an affair" at a Coldplay concert.

    Gwyneth Paltrow in a sleek, tailored suit with long straight hair, smiling at an event
    Arnold Jerocki / Getty Images

    As seen in now-infamous video, Coldplay singer (and Gwyneth's ex) Chris Martin was highlighting fans on the jumbotron at a recent concert when the camera cut to two people getting cozy in the audience. Realizing they were on camera, the two immediately panicked and hid, leading Chris to joke that they were "having an affair."

    Andy Byron and Kristin Cabot hide on a Coldplay kiss cam
    @instaagraace / Via tiktok.com

    As it turned out, they seemingly were. The man in the video was later identified as Astronomer CEO Andy Byron, who is reported to be married with two kids, while the woman, later identified as CPO Kristin Cabot, reportedly got a divorce in 2022. After widespread jokes and commentary about the video, an internal investigation was launched. Andy ultimately resigned from his role last week, while Kristin's departure was announced on Thursday.

    @instaagraace / Via tiktok.com

    Then, in the plot twist of all plot twists, Gwyneth was announced as a "temporary spokesperson" for the tech company. She shared the news herself yesterday in a video statement posted to Astronomer's X account. "Thank you for your interest in Astronomer," Gwyneth began. "Hi, I'm Gwyneth Paltrow. I've been hired on a very temporary basis to speak on behalf of the 300-plus employees at Astronomer."

    Gwyneth Paltrow in a fashionable dress speaks on stage with a focused expression
    Brian Stukes / Getty Images

    She said, "Astronomer has gotten a lot of questions over the last few days. And they wanted me to answer the most common ones."

    Gwyneth Paltrow speaking on stage, wearing a tailored dress, gesturing with one hand
    Bloomberg / Getty Images

    Text then popped up on the screen, asking, "OMG what the actual f," which Gwyneth completely ignored to respond to a different question. "Yes, Astronomer is the best place to run Apache Airflow," she answered. "Unifying the experience of running data, ML, and AI pipelines at scale. We've been thrilled so many people have a newfound interest in data workflow automation." She also said, "As for the other questions we've received — yes! There is still room available at our Beyond Analytics event in September. We will now be returning to what we do best, delivering game-changing results for our customers. Thank you for your interest in Astronomer."

    Thank you for your interest in Astronomer. pic.twitter.com/WtxEegbAMY

    — Astronomer (@astronomerio) July 25, 2025
    @astronomerio / Via Twitter: @astronomerio

    Viewers reacted to the video in the comments, with many calling it a "genius" and "brilliant" way to capitalize on all the publicity.

    "Turning an internet dragging of their CEO into a full-blown PR moment by bringing in Chris Martin’s ex as a spokesperson? That’s not marketing, that’s wizardry," one tweet with over 4,000 likes read. "Guys this is a PR masterclass," another agreed, garnering over 12,000 likes. "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."

    Gwyneth Paltrow with long hair in a light turtleneck is smiling and speaking into a microphone against a stage backdrop
    Gary Gershoff / Getty Images

    Someone else said it was "one of the best crisis responses" they've ever seen. "You hired the Coldplay singer’s ex-wife. Extraordinary," said another.

    Gwyneth Paltrow smiling warmly at an event, with long, wavy hair
    Axelle / Getty Images

    "Honestly, well done to the marketing team, this is incredible haha," one viewer wrote on Reddit, as others called it both a "brilliant" and "hilarious" move by the company. "This is so unserious, I love it," said one person, as another said it was "well-played." "Their social media and PR team all deserve a nice vacation far away from any upcoming Coldplay concerts," one more shared.

    Honestly, yes. Hopefully, Chris responds to this — I'm dying to know what he thinks! Until then, share your thoughts on all of this in the comments.