A surprising twist came to the CEO affair drama at Astronomer after married CEO Andy Byron was caught in a cozy moment with HR rep Kristin Cabot at a Coldplay concert ‘kiss cam.’ The moment sparked laughter and gossip, with singer Chris Martin joking to the audience about their possible affair.
After the uproar, Byron was put on leave before resigning, and Cabot reportedly left as well. To handle the aftermath, Astronomer hired Gwyneth Paltrow, Martin’s ex-wife, to speak on behalf of the company on a short-term basis.
In a clever video posted on social media, Paltrow, dressed in business attire, addressed the public with a combination of calmness and humor. She began by answering the biggest question on everyone’s minds with a simple, “OMG! What the actual f***?”
She reassured audiences about Astronomer’s dedication to data pipeline automation and invited guests to an upcoming company event. When addressing questions about the social media team’s handling of the scandal, Paltrow playfully stopped mid-sentence, keeping the tone light.
The choice to bring in Paltrow was praised widely, with fans calling the move a big PR win and one of the best crisis responses in recent memory. Many appreciated how the company used humor and star power to turn an awkward scandal into a moment of positive attention.
