logo
Company involved in Coldplay KissCam drama hires Gwyneth Paltrow as spokesperson

Company involved in Coldplay KissCam drama hires Gwyneth Paltrow as spokesperson

BOSTON (AP) — Astronomer — the company whose CEO resigned after being caught on a KissCam at a Coldplay rock concert embracing a woman who was not his wife — is trying to move on from the drama with someone who knows the band pretty well.
Actress Gwyneth Paltrow, who was married to Coldplay's frontman Chris Martin for 13 years, announced Friday on X that she has been hired by Astronomer as a spokesperson.
Astronomer, a tech company based in New York, found itself in an uncomfortable spotlight when two of its executives were caught on camera in an intimate embrace at a Coldplay concert — a moment that was then flashed on a giant screen in the stadium.
CEO Andy Byron and human resource executive Kristin Cabot were caught by surprise when Martin asked the cameras to scan the crowd during a concert earlier this month.
'Either they're having an affair or they're just very shy,' Martin joked when the couple appeared on screen and quickly tried to hide their faces.
In a short video, the 'Shakespeare in Love' and 'Ironman' star said she had been hired as a 'very temporary' spokesperson for Astronomer.
'Astronomer has gotten a lot of questions over the last few days and they wanted me to answer the most common ones,' Paltrow said, smiling and deftly avoiding mention of the KissCam fuss.
'We've been thrilled that so many people have a newfound interest in data workflow automation,' she said. 'We will now be returning to what we do best — delivering game-changing results for our customers.'
When footage from the KissCam first spread online, it wasn't immediately clear who the couple were. Soon after the company identified the pair, and Byron resigned followed by Cabot. The video clip resulted in a steady stream of memes, parody videos and screenshots of the pair's shocked faces filling social media feeds.
Online streams of Coldplay's songs jumped 20% in the days after the video went viral, according to Luminate, an industry data and analytics company.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Meta Picks Pimco, Blue Owl for $29 Billion Data Center Deal
Meta Picks Pimco, Blue Owl for $29 Billion Data Center Deal

Yahoo

time18 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Meta Picks Pimco, Blue Owl for $29 Billion Data Center Deal

(Bloomberg) -- Meta Platforms Inc. has selected Pacific Investment Management Co. and Blue Owl Capital Inc. to lead a $29 billion financing for its data center expansion in rural Louisiana as the race for artificial intelligence infrastructure heats up, according to people with knowledge of the matter. All Hail the Humble Speed Hump Three Deaths Reported as NYC Legionnaires' Outbreak Spreads Mayor Asked to Explain $1.4 Billion of Wasted Johannesburg Funds Major Istanbul Projects Are Stalling as City Leaders Sit in Jail What England's New National Cycling Network Needs to Get Rolling Pimco is expected to lead a $26 billion debt portion of the financing, while Blue Owl is providing $3 billion of equity, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the discussions are private. The debt portion is likely to be issued in the form of investment-grade bonds backed by the data center's assets, they said. The social media company has been working with Morgan Stanley to raise funds in a competitive process that pitted some of the largest names in private credit against each other. Apollo Global Management Inc. and KKR & Co. were also vying to lead the financing until the final round of talks, said the people. Other investors may be added at a later stage, they added. Representatives for Meta, Pimco and Blue Owl declined to comment. Morgan Stanley did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Blue Owl Capital shares were up 2.4% in premarket trading on Friday. Meta climbed 0.4%. Private investment firms have been aggressively seeking to deploy capital in transactions secured by physical assets or for higher-rated companies in a bid to differentiate their business. Many see the multi-trillion dollar market for private asset-based finance and data centers in particular as a massive opportunity to expand their revenue streams. Research by the the management consulting firm McKinsey & Co Inc. estimates that data centers will require $6.7 trillion to meet demand for computing power globally by 2030. AI Development The Meta financing will help the firm accelerate its development of artificial intelligence, which executives have said is already producing 'meaningful' revenue for the company. Meta said costs will grow at an even faster pace next year — particularly as it focuses on AI infrastructure needs and the niche technical talent that can fine-tune its models. 'We generally believe that there will be models here that will attract significant external financing to support large-scale data center projects that are developed using our ability to build world-class infrastructure while providing us with flexibility should our infrastructure requirements change over time,' Chief Financial Officer Susan Li told investors during an earnings call last week. Other tech giants have partnered with investment firms to fund AI data centers. Microsoft Corp. has teamed up with BlackRock Inc. to raise $30 billion in private equity capital for strategy that could deploy as much as $100 billion in the space, while Elon Musk's xAI Corp. raised $5 billion in the broadly syndicated debt market in June as it pushes ahead with the build-out of advanced AI models. Earlier this week, Apollo said it had agreed to buy a majority stake in Stream Data Centers. --With assistance from Kat Hidalgo. (Updates with stock price movements in paragraph five.) The Pizza Oven Startup With a Plan to Own Every Piece of the Pie Digital Nomads Are Transforming Medellín's Housing Russia's Secret War and the Plot to Kill a German CEO It's Only a Matter of Time Until Americans Pay for Trump's Tariffs The Game Starts at 8. The Robbery Starts at 8:01 ©2025 Bloomberg L.P. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data

My boyfriend told me that he didn't want to get married again. Dealbreaker?
My boyfriend told me that he didn't want to get married again. Dealbreaker?

Yahoo

time18 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

My boyfriend told me that he didn't want to get married again. Dealbreaker?

What a jerk, I thought, after Clark yelled at me again to pull faster on the sailboat's lines to keep pace with the changes of the wind as we headed to open water from Marina del Rey. 'I'm never going on another date with this guy again!' But what do I know about sailing? Although I grew up in the Great Lakes region, I'd never sailed before and didn't realize there are no passengers on a sailboat — only crew. I'd just moved to Los Angeles from Detroit after leaving a first-job stint in Switzerland. Both places were too cold for me, so no wonder L.A. was irresistible. Every January the nationally televised Rose Parade proved that even winters would reliably be 72 degrees and sunny. L.A. was the place where this Motown gal believed her dreams of new beginnings with happy endings could come true. I met Clark on Venice Beach. And, no, he wasn't a weightlifter, chainsaw juggler or a magician like the other familiar fixtures on the Venice boardwalk. When he emerged from the ocean surf with his boogie board under his arm and aimed his 1000-watt smile at me watching him from my towel on the sand, I mused, 'Oh, yeah, these West Coast boys are alright.' Read more: L.A. Affairs: I knew what I wanted to enrich and sweeten my life. I was seeking ethical nonmonogamy Our first date after that meet-cute was an afternoon of sailing the next week. Before the rendezvous with Clark at the boathouse, I'd treated myself to a manicure. Big mistake! I soon learned that it's impossible to tug on the 'ropes' of sails with just the tips of my fingers to vainly try to protect my fresh mani. Clark didn't appreciate the nails; he shouted maneuvering commands that clearly conveyed his priorities were solely pragmatic. After the debacle of our initial outing, Clark reactivated his charm, so I gave him another chance, and we dated again and again. A picnic and concert under the Hollywood Bowl stars. The Pantages Theatre for a Broadway show. Lobster dinner in Puerto Nuevo — a long drive to Mexico, but worth it. Clark continued to captivate me with his wry observations about the world, his inclination to be a jokester and even the goofy gifts intended to show he was a romantic at heart. I'm sorry to say that the six-pack Valentine's gift of engine oil for my hemorrhaging VW didn't quite make the cut. However, roses on my birthday, coinciding with the anniversary of our infamous sailing date and our exchanges of "I love you," did endear him to me. Two years into our monogamous dating, I wondered where we were headed. I'd never been in a steady relationship that lasted more than six months — until now. He'd been married before, for less than two years. And yet I was afraid to bring up the topic of marriage in case the answer precipitated one more casualty in my portfolio of failed romances. Until one Sunday night. After spending another consecutive weekend with Clark at his place, I was dreading my usual return drive home over the Sepulveda Pass and into the Valley. Somehow the burning need to just know what his intentions might be gave me the courage to pop the question: 'Do you think you'll ever get married again?' His reply crushed me. 'You know I was married once, but that didn't work out. It hurt to uncouple our lives from our dreams.' He paused. 'And now you are my special love. I couldn't be happier with our relationship, and everything is wonderful just as it is. But ... no, I don't want to marry again.' Read more: L.A. Affairs: He was kind and rich. His expensive gifts hinted at something darker I felt dizzy from the visceral ringing in my ears as all I heard over and over was 'no.' I don't remember exactly what either of us said after that, but I was clear about what I wanted: I wanted to be married to him, my best friend. Not now, but someday I wanted to introduce him as more than the man I dated. I couldn't detach my dreams from the day-to-day connections we had already built. And if I'd never be his wife, then it wasn't enough. It was over for me. I drove mindlessly toward home. I replayed the breakup again and again as West Los Angeles retreated farther and farther away. Somehow I made it safely to the little bungalow I shared with Heather, my rescue cat. I hugged her close, thinking now she would see more of me on the weekends because Clark had been too allergic to cats to stay at my place. Reality hit, hard: He would no longer be part of my life. Determined to put the weekend behind me, the next morning I prepared for another busy Monday of seeing patients. I walked briskly into the office, but the cheerful dentist I worked for took one look at my face with my eyes puffy from crying and asked, 'What happened to you?' Sniffling, I shared how and why I had broken up with Clark. My boss shrugged and quoted an old saying: 'No need to buy the cow when the milk is free.' Gee, thanks for that. Read more: L.A. Affairs: My dog bit my date. Would I hear from him again? As I was leaving for lunch at home, Dr. Happy Sayings bolted from his office and called out, 'You can't go! Clark is coming over.' Before I could react, Clark was there, beckoning me outside. As he took me in his arms, my tears started anew. He begged me to stop crying and explained that he had never thought about marrying again until I surprised him by asking if he ever would. Clark admitted that if being married was what it would take to spend the rest of his life with me, then yes — someday, yes, we would marry. That promise was enough for me, as another year passed without a wedding. When I was accepted into graduate school at UCLA, I retired as a dental hygienist and moved in with Clark. Heather moved in with an allergy-free Englishman in San Pedro, where she lived happily ever after. My happily ever after started soon enough. My first year as an MBA student was a gold mine of entertainment as I regaled Clark with tales of the hookups between classmates. Later I joked that he couldn't slip an engagement ring onto my finger fast enough. I also teased him that he had waited until he was certain I landed a good job post-graduation before setting the wedding date. We decided to forgo traditional nuptials in favor of a civil ceremony, splurging instead on an extended celebratory trip in Europe. Read more: L.A. Affairs: I boldly gave a fun, mysterious guy my number. Could I refrain from Googling him later? That summer my memories of the frosty winter when I'd worked in Switzerland faded with Clark by my side. Everywhere felt warm with bonhomie as the locals wished us an Ausgezeichnete Hochzeitsreise, or Excellent Honeymoon. From an outdoor terrace in a lakeside Alpine village, we watched catamarans and windsurfers lean into the wind and fly across the water below. Clark held me close and asked if I'd like to go sailing. I just grinned and answered, 'No, I don't think so. ... Everything is wonderful, just as it is.' The author, who lives in Culver City, is still married to the erstwhile sailor, but she now sculls at UCLA's Marina Aquatics Center. She returned to her alma mater as an executive coach for MBA students at the UCLA Anderson School of Management. She writes a weekly column for them about the ups and downs of careers and leadership. You can find her on LinkedIn at L.A. Affairs chronicles the search for romantic love in all its glorious expressions in the L.A. area, and we want to hear your true story. We pay $400 for a published essay. Email LAAffairs@ You can find submission guidelines here. You can find past columns here. Sign up for The Wild newsletter to get weekly insider tips on the best of our beaches, trails, parks, deserts, forests and mountains. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Solve the daily Crossword

Why VC investments into crypto are seen to hit $25bn in 2025
Why VC investments into crypto are seen to hit $25bn in 2025

Yahoo

time18 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Why VC investments into crypto are seen to hit $25bn in 2025

Venture capital investors will back crypto startups to the tune of $25 billion in 2025. That's according to Michael Martin, director at Ava Labs' incubator Codebase, who said a perfect storm of bullish signals will incentivise investors to back crypto companies. He told DL News that factors like Circle's successful public float, booming crypto market, Stripe's acquisition of Privy, Wall Street pouring into blockchain projects, and new rules of the road for digital assets will drive even more investment in the last half of the year. 'People have the proof points to invest with a level of confidence in earlier stage, real-world blockchain companies that they may not have had in the past,' Martin told DL News. The prediction comes during a week that saw 12 crypto projects raise $121 million, pushing the total amount bagged by industry players this year to $13.2 billion, according to DefiLlama. That investment is already 40% higher in August this year than all investment into crypto last year. That also puts it on the path to break the $18 billion expected by PitchBook analysts earlier this year. Martin's prognosis echoes that of Galaxy Venture's Mike Giampapa, who told DL News earlier this summer that he expected crypto startups to secure $25 billion in 2025. Critical juncture Investor' optimism comes at a critical juncture for the industry. The Trump administration's pro-industry tilt has emboldened not just sector players, but also larger financial institutions and banks to increasingly tap into digital assets. With Trump having rubberstamped the Genius Act in July and more crypto bills coming up for votes on Capitol Hill, the industry is getting the clarity it's clamoured for for years. That clarity is expected to further fuel the adoption of blockchain technology by traditional financial institutions. Wall Street companies and fintech firms may also see this as an opportunity to follow in Stripe's footsteps and acquire crypto companies to embed their solutions in their services 'You're going to see more of that,' Martin said. Macroeconomy risks To be sure, there are clouds on the horizon that risk derailing the investment boom. Even so, macroeconomic uncertainties — particularly those surrounding US President Donald Trump's tariffs — jeopardise the rally, Martin said. Other concerns include whether or not public crypto companies like Circle and Coinbase will perform as well as expected. Martin said that if public crypto companies and leading cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin were to underperform analysts' expectations, that could rattle investors and scare them into tightening their grips around their cheque books. Apart from the risk of public crypto companies underperforming, there is also a chance that macroeconomic conditions will give investors reason to halt their investment strategies. For instance, Trump's tariffs against some of the US' closest trading partners combined with jobs growth having stalled this summer have rattled investors. No one knows what will happen next. 'VCs have capital they need to deploy,' Martin said. 'But how are you going to deploy it if you don't know if X, Y and Z is going to happen?' You're reading the latest installment of The Weekly Raise, our column covering fundraising deals across the crypto and DeFi spaces, powered by DefiLlama. Eric Johansson is DL News' interim managing editor. Got a tip? Email at eric@ Errore nel recupero dei dati Effettua l'accesso per consultare il tuo portafoglio Errore nel recupero dei dati Errore nel recupero dei dati Errore nel recupero dei dati Errore nel recupero dei dati

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store