Chris Martin’s ex Gwyneth Paltrow trolls Coldplay concert scandal in new Astronomer ad: ‘Thank you for your interest’

A little over a week after the cheating scandal involving Astronomer’s former CEO and former HR head went viral during a Coldplay concert, the tech company has found an unusual way to ride the wave of attention by featuring Gwyneth Paltrow in a tongue-in-cheek ad.

Paltrow, who was married to Coldplay frontman Chris Martin from 2003 to 2014, appeared in a lighthearted video posted on Astronomer’s LinkedIn page.

She introduced herself as a “very temporary spokesperson” for the company’s 300+ employees and acknowledged the sudden spike in interest following the incident.


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It all started with Chris

On July 16, during a Coldplay concert in Boston, the band’s frontman Chris Martin pointed out a couple shown on the jumbotron: Astronomer’s then-CEO Andy Byron and recently resigned HR chief Kristin Cabot, jokingly suggesting they were “having an affair.”

The 10-second moment quickly gained traction online and led to the resignation of both executives within days.

Astronomer, a company known for its work in data workflow automation and Apache Airflow, released a statement on July 19 confirming Byron’s resignation and naming cofounder Pete DeJoy as interim CEO.

Astronomer brought Chris’s ex-wife

Facing unexpected attention, Astronomer chose to lean into the viral moment. In the new video, Paltrow dodges humorous on-screen questions like “OMG! What the actual f—” and “How is your social media team holding—”, instead shifting focus to the company’s services and their upcoming “Beyond Analytics” event in September.

“Yes! Astronomer is the best place to run Apache Airflow,” Paltrow said, seated at a desk in the playful video. She closed the message by saying, “Thank you for your interest in Astronomer.”

Making the most of a messy moment

Astronomer acknowledged the incident in an earlier statement, said its commitment to values and accountability. Interim CEO DeJoy said the company had “never shied away from challenges” and now found itself a “household name.”

With Paltrow’s unexpected cameo and her connection to the band involved in the scandal, the company appears to be turning a crisis into a marketing win, with a dash of humor and star power.