Astronomer, the AI/data ops startup that went viral for all the wrong reasons, has just dropped a bold PR move: Gwyneth Paltrow, ex-wife of Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, is playing the role of their temporary spokesperson. It’s thought‑provoking, cheeky—and yes, it’s totally capitalizing on the buzz.
What happened (in case you missed it)
It all started at a Coldplay concert on July 15. A Kiss Cam captured Astronomer CEO Andy Byron and HR head Kristin Cabot in a cozy moment. They quickly shied away, looking mortified. Chris Martin quipped on stage, “Either they’re having an affair or just really shy.” The internet explosion that followed led to resignations—and a full-on PR crisis.
About a week later, Astronomer posted a video featuring Gwyneth Paltrow. She introduces herself calmly, saying: “I’ve been hired on a very temporary basis to speak on behalf of the 300-plus employees at Astronomer.”She deadpans, “Yes… Astronomer is the best place to run Apache Airflow,” turning the viral moment into a data‑tech pitch. It’s like watching the calmest damage control ever.Netizens are calling it a PR masterstroke—“marketing jiu‑jitsu” that turned a viral scandal into brand awareness. One user said this was “10/10 PR recovery.”
Social media lit up
Social media lit up after news broke that Gwyneth Paltrow—yes, Chris Martin’s ex—was hired as a temporary spokesperson by Astronomer, the data platform making headlines for all the wrong reasons. “Astronomer picking Chris Martin’s ex-wife as their spokesperson is diabolical marketing and a pretty entertaining crisis recovery move,” tweeted @mickeynegus, summing up the internet’s collective jaw-drop. Meanwhile, @LloydMathias chimed in with a perfectly Goop-flavored take: “Brilliant come back from @astronomerio using Gwyneth Paltrow as temp spokie. She cleverly cuts off Q&As: “OMG what the actual f—” & “How is your social media team holding—” to expertly shift focus back to brand. Masterful crisis recovery! Well played.”
Who is Astronomer’s CEO now?
Astronomer’s interim CEO, Pete DeJoy, has stepped in after Byron’s resignation. He described the media attention as “unusual and surreal,” adding that the scandal unexpectedly made Astronomer a household name in data automation.Paltrow’s casting is ironic gold: she was married to Coldplay’s Chris Martin. Now she’s tongue-in-cheek fronting the company that got dragged into the drama. It’s absurd—and hilarious. Astronomer turned a cringe kiss cam moment into a viral comeback—by starring Gwyneth Paltrow in the kind of eyebrow‑raising cameo we’d never see in traditional crisis PR.
