After Gwyneth Paltrow, Astronomer eying Dakota Johnson?

Gwyneth Paltrow has signed on as a temporary spokesperson for Astronomer, the data‑company thrust into the spotlight following a viral “kiss‑cam” scandal involving then‑CEO Andy Byron and the firm’s head of HR, Kristin Cabot

Byron and Cabot, both married to other partners at the time of the incident at Coldplay’s Boston concert on July 15‑16, were seen awkwardly avoiding the jumbotron’s spotlight. +

Chris Martin, Coldplay’s frontman and Paltrow’s ex‑husband, quipped, “Either they’re having an affair or they’re just very shy,” fueling a media and social‑media frenzy.

Within days, Byron resigned on July 19, followed by Cabot’s resignation on July 24, as Astronomer’s board initiated an internal investigation and installed co‑founder Pete DeJoy as interim CEO.

In a tongue‑in‑cheek promotional video released on July 25, Paltrow declared: “I’ve been hired on a very temporary basis to speak on behalf of the 300‑plus employees at Astronomer.” 

She fielded mock questions, abruptly deflecting scandal chatter with statements about Apache Airflow and an upcoming DataOps conference, turning the controversy into cheeky brand awareness.

Analysts say the decision to bring in Paltrow, a high‑profile figure with a personal tie to Martin, is smart crisis‑management. 

It defuses tension with humor and redirects attention to the company’s core tech capabilities rather than executive misconduct

Speculation is now swirling: who might Astronomer hire next to maintain momentum? Some industry watchers half‑joke that Dakota Johnson, formerly engaged to Chris Martin after his divorce from Paltrow, could be next. Though purely hypothetical and likely tongue-in-cheek, the idea highlights Astronomer’s willingness to lean into pop‑culture connections. 

On the personal front, Paltrow and Martin married in 2003, had two children, and announced their split in 2014, finalizing their divorce in 2016.