Actress and entrepreneur Gwyneth Paltrow has been hired as a temporary spokesperson for AI startup Astronomer, just days after the company was caught up in a viral scandal involving its former CEO and HR head.
In a tongue-in-cheek video posted on Astronomer’s official X (formerly Twitter) account, Paltrow—ex-wife of Coldplay singer Chris Martin—introduces herself as the company’s temporary voice, representing its 300+ employees. However, instead of addressing the controversy directly, she humorously sidesteps questions and shifts focus to promoting Astronomer’s business.
“Thank you for your interest in Astronomer,” she says in the video. “I’ve been hired on a very temporary basis to speak on behalf of the 300-plus employees.”
Astronomer, a New York-based AI firm, specializes in data workflow automation and is known as a leading platform for running Apache Airflow. Paltrow cheerfully explains the company’s services, while cleverly dodging any mention of the recent scandal.
The video comes after former CEO Andy Byron and ex-HR head Kristin Cabot were seen on a “kiss cam” at a Coldplay concert near Boston, an appearance that quickly went viral. The pair, both married to other people, awkwardly tried to avoid the camera, sparking widespread speculation and eventually leading to their resignations.
In the video, Paltrow makes light of the situation, brushing aside questions about how Astronomer’s social media team is handling the fallout. Instead, she highlights the company’s upcoming Beyond Analytics event and reiterates its focus on delivering “game-changing results.”
The move has drawn mixed reactions online, with some praising the creative PR approach and others questioning the tone. Still, it marks a unique blend of celebrity marketing and crisis communication, aimed at steering attention back to Astronomer’s business offerings.
