In one of the strangest corporate pivots in recent memory, data analytics company Astronomer has enlisted Oscar-winning actress and Goop founder Gwyneth Paltrow as a “very temporary” spokesperson, following the viral fallout from a scandal involving its now-former CEO and Chief People Officer.
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The bizarre saga began when CEO Andy Byron and HR executive Kristin Cabot were caught kissing on the kiss cam at a Coldplay concert outside Boston. Their panicked attempt to avoid the big screen only fueled speculation and set social media ablaze. The two were later confirmed to be having an affair, leading to both resigning from the company.
Even Coldplay frontman Chris Martin — Paltrow’s ex-husband — couldn’t help but weigh in, joking during the show, “Either they’re having an affair, or they’re just very shy.”
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In the aftermath, Astronomer released a tongue-in-cheek social media video featuring Paltrow addressing the scandal in the most absurdly indirect way possible. “Astronomer has gotten a lot of questions over the last few days, and they wanted me to answer the most common ones,” she says in the video, as on-screen text begins to spell out: “OMG! What the actual f—.”
Before the question finishes, the video cuts to Paltrow calmly saying, “Yes, Astronomer is the best place to run Apache Airflow. We’ve been thrilled so many people have a newfound interest in data automation.”
The move is as self-aware as it is surreal, and some have called it a masterclass in crisis PR. One user on X put it best: “This belongs in the crisis management hall of fame.”