Astronomer just announced its newest hire: Gwyneth Paltrow.
In the aftermath of the Coldplay kiss cam scandal that led to the data infrastructure company’s CEO and head of HR stepping down, Astronomer is leaning into the chaos with a tongue-in-cheek video that features the actress.
“Thank you for your interest in Astronomer,” said Paltrow, the ex-wife of Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, in a video posted by Astronomer Friday night. “I’ve been hired on a very temporary basis to speak on behalf of the 300-plus employees at Astronomer.”
In the video, Paltrow is seated in a modern office space, speaking in a serene voice, as soothing synths play in the background. Organized in a Q&A format, the video played the two “most common” questions the company has received over the past few days — “OMG! What the actual f.” and “How is your social media team holding (up)?”
Instead of answering, Paltrow redirects the conversation to … wait for it … data workflow automation.
“We’ve been thrilled so many people have a newfound interest in data workflow automation,” Paltrow said in an enthusiastic, yet sarcastic, tone.
In the replies, users commended the company’s crisis management, with one person calling it “a PR masterclass.”
The video drops in the wake of “ColdplayGate,” a jumbotron controversy at a Coldplay concert held at Gillette Stadium nearly two weeks ago. Astronomer CEO Andy Byron and head of HR Kristin Cabot were caught cozying up on the kiss cam — and allegedly cheating on their partners. The moment quickly sent the internet into an uproar.
“Oh, look at these two. ... Either they’re having an affair or they’re just very shy,” said Martin when the jumbotron panned to the pair.
Last Saturday, Astronomer wrote that “our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability, and recently, that standard was not met.” Its Board of Directors has started a search for the next CEO.
In the meantime, Astronomer is taking a different approach: self-aware humor.
“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,” the user wrote.
Jessica Ma can be reached at jessica.ma@globe.com.