In a surprising move that blends celebrity power with damage control, New York-based tech company Astronomer has hired actress Gwyneth Paltrow as a temporary spokesperson following a viral controversy involving two of its executives.

The company was thrust into the public eye earlier this month after CEO Andy Byron and HR executive Kristin Cabot were caught on a KissCam sharing a seemingly romantic moment during a Coldplay concert. The incident gained widespread attention after Coldplay’s frontman, Chris Martin, asked the cameras to pan the crowd mid-show — and they landed on Byron and Cabot, who appeared startled and tried to hide their faces. Martin quipped, “Either they’re having an affair or they’re just very shy,” sending social media into a frenzy.

What followed was a wave of online speculation, memes, and parody clips. The unexpected viral moment led to both Byron and Cabot resigning from their positions at Astronomer. The scandal also coincided with a 20% surge in Coldplay streaming numbers, according to music analytics firm Luminate.

In the wake of the drama, Astronomer is trying to pivot — and they’ve enlisted someone uniquely connected to the band: Gwyneth Paltrow, who was married to Chris Martin for over a decade. Paltrow took to social media on Friday, sharing a brief video confirming her role as a “very temporary” spokesperson for the company.

Without directly addressing the incident, Paltrow said, “Astronomer has gotten a lot of questions over the last few days and they wanted me to answer the most common ones.” Flashing a wry smile, she added, “We’ve been thrilled that so many people have a newfound interest in data workflow automation.”

While the company has not elaborated on why Paltrow was chosen, her connection to Coldplay likely makes her an apt figure to steer the public narrative back toward Astronomer’s core business — enterprise data solutions — rather than the tabloid headlines.

The message is clear: Astronomer hopes to turn the page, armed with a familiar face and a touch of humor. Whether that’s enough to put the incident behind them remains to be seen.