Gwyneth Paltrow wades into viral Astronomer scandal after ex — and Coldplay frontman — Chris Martin exposes cheating CEO, HR head on kiss cam
Paltrow – the ex-wife of Coldplay frontman Chris Martin – appeared as a 'temporary' spokesperson for the company in a nearly minute-long video, thanking viewers for their interest while sidestepping questions about how the team is handling the 'kiss cam' frenzy that lit up social media last week.
'I've been hired on a very temporary basis to speak on behalf of the 300 plus employees at Astronomer,' she said in the video on the company's LinkedIn Friday night.
4 Gwyneth Paltrow stepped in as a 'temporary' spokesperson for the tech company.
Astronomer
'Astronomer has gotten a lot of questions over the last few days and they wanted me to answer the most common ones.'
'OMG! What the actual f' then flashed on the scream as the 'Shakespeare in Love' star talked about how the AI firm is the 'best place to run apache airflow.'
Here is the latest on the CEO caught cheating on a Coldplay concert jumbotron
The affair between Byron and Cabot – who have since resigned from their cushy positions – was put on blast last Wednesday at a Coldplay concert when the Gillette Stadium jumbotron suddenly panned to them — prompting the cuddling pair to frantically duck out of view as they scrambled to hide their faces.
4 Andy Byron and Kristin Cabot were caught on Coldplay's couple's cam.
Grace Springer via Storyful
4 The CEO and head of HR were put into the spotlight and immediately panicked.
Grace Springer via Storyful
4 Byron and Cabot both left Astronomer after the moment went viral.
Grace Springer via Storyful
'Oh, what?' frontman Chris Martin said with confusion after catching the buzzworthy blunder.
'Either they're having an affair or they're just very shy.'
The snafu made headlines, inspired thousands of memes, and quickly found itself the butt of many a joke, with famous figures and people across the globe recreating the mortifying moment at sporting events and online.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Why Divorce Lawyers Say The 'Jumbotron Astronomer' Will Walk Away Untouched
The Coldplay concert scandal that turned a once‑respected CEO into the infamous 'Jumbotron Astronomer' set social media ablaze. However, in the eyes of California law, his alleged affair doesn't mean much. While the internet has passed judgment, family law attorney Richard Sullivan says courts operate under a very different set of rules. What The 'Jumbotron Astronomer' Doesn't Realize About Divorce When the stadium cameras caught for Astronomer CEO, Andy Byron, cozying up to a woman who wasn't his wife, the former data startup executive became an overnight viral sensation. Dubbed the 'Jumbotron Astronomer,' he went from businessman to cautionary tale in seconds. However, while the public was quick to speculate about divorce settlements and custody battles, Richard Sullivan insists the outcome won't be nearly as dramatic. 'People often assume cheating automatically impacts the outcome of a divorce, especially emotionally charged cases like this,' Sullivan explained in an exclusive chat with The Blast. 'But California is a no-fault divorce state. That means the court doesn't care who cheated or why the marriage ended. Infidelity may be morally outrageous, but it doesn't change the financial outcome.' Even though Andy's reputation took a stadium‑sized hit, Sullivan makes it clear that California law doesn't reward betrayed spouses with bigger settlements. California Law Ignores Infidelity For many, the idea that such a public betrayal has no legal consequence might feel shocking. However, Sullivan emphasizes that in California, adultery is not a bargaining chip in divorce. Property division remains equal, and spousal support is based on earnings and lifestyle, not on who embarrassed whom on the Jumbotron. 'Unless community funds were used to support the affair—like expensive travel or gifts—cheating has very little legal consequence,' Sullivan adds. 'It might matter emotionally. But in court, it's irrelevant.' This means that even if the 'Jumbotron Astronomer's' wife decides to end the marriage, the outcome will follow a predictable formula. Viral shame may haunt him socially, but in the courtroom, the scandal is practically invisible. Custody Battles Rarely Hinge On Scandal Perhaps the most sensitive issue in any divorce is custody, but here, too, Sullivan pours cold water on dramatic assumptions. Unless a parent's actions directly endanger children or reflect consistent neglect, family courts are not swayed by headlines. 'Bad judgment during a concert isn't enough to label someone an unfit parent,' Sullivan says. 'Public embarrassment is painful, but family court is about structure and stability.' For the disgraced executive, that means his role as a father likely remains intact, even as his image unravels online. California courts prioritize safety and consistency over public humiliation when deciding custody. In the end, while the 'Jumbotron Astronomer' may have lost face under the bright lights of a Coldplay concert, Richard Sullivan makes one truth clear: in California, adultery may ignite gossip, but it rarely sparks legal fire. What Former Astronomer CEO's Wife Could Gain From A Divorce Following the Coldplay kiss cam scandal, Andy Byron's wife, Megan, changed her last name on Facebook from Byron to Kerrigan, after which she deleted her account on the social media platform. Megan also deleted once‑joyful family photos of Andy with his two sons, including a hiking trip picture and a graduation celebration. Her decision to delete her account came after several people flooded her with comments about Andy's cheating scandal. For now, it remains unknown if Megan will file for divorce from Andy, as she has yet to comment on the scandal publicly. However, if she decides to end their marriage, she could get half of Andy's estimated worth of $20-70 million. Former Astronomer CEO's Wife Spotted For The First Time Since Scandal Amid the Coldplay kiss cam scandal, Megan was reported to be staying away from the spotlight at the family's $2.4 million estate in Maine. Sources told the Daily Mail that Megan has been leaning on close family, including her sister Maura, who quickly traveled to be by her side after viral footage showed her husband cozying up to his HR chief, Kristin Cabot. In the scandal's immediate aftermath, Megan left their $1.4 million residence in Northborough, Massachusetts, and retreated to the Kennebunk property, roughly 106 miles away. Teh 50-year-old Megan serves as Associate Director of Lower School and Hope Graham Program Admissions at Bancroft School. Solve the daily Crossword
Forbes
9 hours ago
- Forbes
Was That Gwyneth Paltrow Or A Deep Fake? A.I. Up-Ends Crisis Playbooks
The truth is very hard to find today. The role of A.I. deep fakes in almost every medium is calling into question who and what are real? Who do we believe? Who speaks for us? What is the truth? What are the lies? How purposeful is the mis/disinformation? And what can we do about it? And if you're in the midst of a crisis including deep fakes, not only do the old rules no longer apply, the misinformation can turn the situation toxic. Our crisis playbooks need to be totally rewritten. Nothing showcases this better than the most recent CEO scandal, involving a Coldplay concert, a 'kiss cam' broadcast on the Gillette stadium jumbotron, and two senior executives of an enigmatic company named 'Astronomer' caught in an embarrassing romantic embrace. It was the hug seen around and around the world. As the two participants frantically turned away, wisely declining to be seen or heard from again, a legion of stand-ins came out of the woodwork to take their place. Deep fakes almost all, these constructs purported to be a TV news anchor, the disgraced CEO himself, his wife, his sons and his 'daughter.' But, it turns out, the CEO doesn't even HAVE a daughter. And the others never posted. The posts were all fake, but when issued over social media, the statements were believable, if a bit exploitative and overblown. And they prolonged and deepened the arc of the crisis. See the Youtube video above to see the incident itself, followed by CEO Andy Byron's ostensible public statement issued over social media. That statement was a total fake, posted by a fake 'CBS news anchor,' yet it made its way onto Fox News, and around the world. One CEO I work with told me that he had read all of these statements, and believed each one. Then, in an attempt to flatten the arc, and quell the crisis, the new interim CEO of Astronomer hired actor Ryan Reynolds' inventive marketing firm, Maximum Effort. They somehow chose to produce a minute-long video, posted on YouTube, with tongue firmly in cheek. It features very 'temporary spokesperson' Gwyneth Paltrow saying basically, let me have your attention: Enough about the kiss cam, let's get back to the nuts and bolts of this business; let's get back to work. And to its credit, though odd, the video worked pretty well to defuse the situation. Ironically, though, many people thought it was Ms. Paltrow who was the deep fake. But she turned out to be real. By the time the deep fakes were discovered, Byron had resigned, the head of HR as well, and Paltrow/Reynolds had recast the discussion just enough to get the monkeys off everyone's backs. But, though Paltrow cut through the ridiculousness, this kind of response would not work in most crises, and could backfire badly. By now, two weeks after the event, well over 100 million people around the world have heard, or read of the scandal, and in one day, more than 22,000 news articles were written on Astronomer, says Axios, quoting Muck Rack, even if they don't really understand what the company in question does. What we do know is that A.I., and deep fakes, have completely changed the game in crisis management. Just as ChatGPT has made many corporate communicators redundant, a whole new paradigm is emerging for crisis participants. In fact, CEO dalliances with their subordinates are a fairly garden variety of corporate crisis. In my practice we've handled tens, twenties or more of them over the years. And while each situation can be quite different, there is an established play book for how the board and remaining management can handle such private tragedies with a minimum of public exposure or damage. The goal would always be to get it all over with as quickly, fairly, compassionately and gracefully as possible. To that end, the Astronomer Board's statements were pretty much on target. (See my article on The Role Of Boards in Crisis: 10 Steps for Directors Before, During And After Crisis.) Astronomer is committed to the values and culture that have guided us since our founding. Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and Board of Directors has initiated a formal investigation into this matter and we will have additional details to share very Stoddard was not at the event and no other employees were in the video. Andy Byron has not put out any statement, reports saying otherwise are all because they were so late in coming, that left lots of time for false rumors to sweep the internet. (See You Have 15 Minutes to Respond to a Crisis: A Checklist of Dos and Don'ts) And given the momentum of the crisis, the Board's statement was probably necessary but not sufficient. With all the uncertainty floating around these days, every day can seem like a crisis, and aggregated, it can seem more like chaos. (See my article on 'Chaos Leadership: When Does Global Crisis Turn Into Chaos And How Do We Survive It?') The New York Times has given us a quiz to find out how well we can tell what is fake and what is real all on our own…(to take it, go to: A.I. videos have never been better. Can you tell what's real?) Unsurprisingly, it's really hard to do, and I haven't found one person yet who has gotten all ten right. And that's very scary indeed. As for this moment, while new playbooks are being created, authentication is the magic word. There are several organizations that fact-check journalists and their articles, posts and videos, and verify those they find to be real/true. Snopes is the undeniable leader of the field. Founded in 1994, it started by investigating urban legends, hoaxes and folklore. Today it is a terrific source of insight on what is a deep fake, and what's real, as well as what is true and what is false in public statements and rumors of all kinds. Other more specialized fact-checking organizations include: Pulitzer Prize winning and All of these organizations are go-to resources to verify/authenticate articles, videos, claims, science, and political rhetoric. In fact, we should all have a little fact-checking engine sitting on our shoulders as we live our lives, clueing us in to what is true, and what is baloney. That would be a truly innovative solution for an issue that appears to be getting more and more intractable.
Forbes
10 hours ago
- Forbes
Coldplay Earns A Milestone New Hit With A Quarter-Century-Old Song
Coldplay's catalog is stacked with hits, but the band's popularity extends far beyond those tunes chosen as singles. Even album cuts that were never pushed to radio can find a second life, and right now, 'Sparks' is enjoying its moment. In the middle of a historic tour, which has spawned multiple viral moments – including a kiss-cam controversy – the understated track becomes the group's latest chart win, and rises to a new high yet again. 'Sparks' Reaches the Top 40 for the First Time This week, 'Sparks' climbs to No. 39 on the Official Singles chart. As it ascends, the tune breaks into the top 40 on the ranking of the most consumed cuts in the U.K. for the first time. The track also improves to No. 80 on the Official Streaming list. 'Sparks' has only appeared on both tallies for little while – less than two months at most – and its momentum is still building. Coldplay Lands Its Thirtieth Top 40 Hit As it rises to No. 39, 'Sparks' becomes Coldplay's milestone thirtieth top 40 single in the U.K. The band first entered that tier on the main list of the most consumed songs in the country a quarter-century ago, when 'Shiver' debuted at No. 35 in 2000. Three Coldplay Tracks Charting at Once Alongside 'Sparks,' Coldplay keeps two other cuts on the U.K. rankings. 'Viva La Vida' and 'Yellow' both slip on the main singles list, but remain on a pair of charts each, largely thanks to streaming success. 'Yellow' also hits a milestone of its own, snagging its one-hundredth week on the Official Streaming chart. 'Viva La Vida' and 'Yellow' Fall Side-by-Side Coincidentally, 'Viva La Vida' and 'Yellow' now sit next to one another on the Official Singles chart, landing at Nos. 97 and 98, respectively. 'Viva La Vida' celebrates 156 weeks on the all-consumption tally — exactly three years — which is not uncommon for albums, but remains a feat not seen very often for songs.
