Tech company Astronomer made headlines after its former CEO Andy Byron and Chief People Officer Kristin Cabot were caught in an awkward moment during a Coldplay concert kiss cam. The incident sparked rumors of an affair, leading both executives to resign. Now, the company has hired Gwyneth Paltrow, the ex-wife of Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, as a “temporary spokesperson” in a clever PR move.
Viral Kiss-Cam Moment at Coldplay Concert
During Coldplay’s July 16 concert at Gillette Stadium in Boston, the band’s kiss cam landed on Andy Byron and Kristin Cabot, who were sitting together. Instead of kissing, both panicked—Cabot covered her face while Byron ducked out of view. Coldplay singer Chris Martin noticed and joked:
“Either they’re having an affair, or they’re just very shy. I’m not quite sure what to do.”
The moment went viral, with fans speculating about their relationship since both were married to other people. Within days, Byron resigned on July 19, followed by Cabot on July 24.
Astronomer Hires Gwyneth Paltrow for Damage Control
On July 25, Astronomer released a satirical video featuring Gwyneth Paltrow as their “very temporary spokesperson.” The company cleverly used humor to shift focus from the scandal back to its business.
In the video, Paltrow says:
“Thank you for your interest in Astronomer. 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.”
The clip shows fake questions like “OMG! What the actual f—” before cutting to Paltrow promoting the company’s data automation services instead. She avoids addressing the scandal directly but jokes:
“Yes, Astronomer is the best place to run Apache Airflow. We’ve been thrilled so many people have a newfound interest in data workflow automation.”
Why Gwyneth Paltrow? The Chris Martin Connection
The choice of Paltrow is no coincidence—she was married to Chris Martin from 2003 to 2016, and the two share two children. By hiring her, Astronomer turned an embarrassing situation into a viral marketing win.
Fans online loved the move, with comments like:
“You hired the Coldplay singer’s ex-wife. Extraordinary.”
“Your PR team deserves a raise!”
Fallout from the Scandal
The viral moment had major consequences:
- Andy Byron and Kristin Cabot resigned from their positions.
- Byron’s wife, Megan Kerrigan, reportedly removed her married name from Facebook before deleting her account.
- Coldplay’s music streams increased by 25% after the scandal, according to Billboard.
Astronomer’s interim CEO Pete DeJoy addressed the situation:
“The spotlight has been unusual and surreal for our team. While I would never have wished for it to happen like this, Astronomer is now a household name.”
Legal Trouble for Chris Martin?
Reports suggest Andy Byron may sue Chris Martin for defamation, claiming the joke damaged his reputation. Legal experts say proving this will be difficult since the incident happened in a public setting.
Also read: Gwyneth Paltrow Criticizes Brad Pitt in New Book Claiming She Was More Sophisticated and Educated
Credits: Sources include The Hollywood Reporter, NBC News, Business Standard, and The Economic Times.
