Coldplay concert scandal: Astronomer hires Chris Martin's ex-wife as spokesperson
What's the story
Hollywood actress and businesswoman Gwyneth Paltrow has been hired by AI start-up Astronomer as a "temporary spokesperson." The move comes in the wake of a viral incident at a Coldplay concert, involving former CEO Andy Byron and ex-HR head Kristin Cabot. In a tongue-in-cheek video shared on the company's X account, Paltrow who is Coldplay frontman Chris Martin's ex-wife, said she was brought on board to represent over 300 employees at Astronomer.
Video message
Paltrow diverts attention from controversy in video
In the video, Paltrow said, "Thank you for your interest in Astronomer. I've been hired on a very temporary basis to speak on behalf of the 300-plus employees at Astronomer." She further added that the company had received a lot of questions recently and they wanted her to answer some common ones. However, instead of addressing the controversy directly, she diverted attention by explaining what Astronomer does.
Service promotion
What does the clip say?
The video starts with someone reacting to the recent scandal, before cutting to Paltrow promoting Astronomer's services. She said, "The New York-based firm is the best place to run Apache Airflow. We've been thrilled so many people have a newfound interest in data workflow automation." The clip then shifts focus from the PR mess by asking about an upcoming event instead.
Event response
Astronomer addresses event participation amid PR crisis
When asked about the company's social media team's handling of the ongoing PR crisis, Paltrow quickly shifted gears. She said, "Yes, there is still room available at our Beyond Analytics event in September." The video ends with her thanking viewers for their interest in Astronomer and reiterating their commitment to delivering game-changing results for customers.
Leadership shift
Leadership changes following viral incident
The scandal involving Byron and Cabot, who were caught getting cozy on a Coldplay "kiss cam" at a concert near Boston, has led to their resignation from Astronomer. Both are married to other people—Byron's wife is Megan Kerrigan, while Cabot is married to Andrew Cabot, owner of Privateer Rum. Following such developments, Astronomer co-founder and Chief Product Officer Pete DeJoy has stepped in as interim CEO.