Ryan Reynolds Recalls Enlisting Gwyneth Paltrow to Star in ‘Fun’ PSA amid ‘Toxic’ Astronomer CEO Drama

Ryan Reynolds recently opened up about how Gwyneth Paltrow ended up starring in a tongue-in-cheek PSA for Astronomer after the company was thrust into the spotlight earlier this summer.

Speaking during a Q&A at the Wall Street Journal’s CMO Council Summit, Reynolds described how his production and marketing company, Maximum Effort, moved quickly to help Astronomer respond after the firm made headlines. The attention followed a viral Coldplay concert “kiss cam” moment in July in Massachusetts, when Astronomer’s former CEO Andy Byron was seen with then-HR executive Kristin Cabot. As the two tried to duck out of view, Coldplay frontman Chris Martin joked from the stage that they might be having an “affair,” instantly sending the clip exploding across social media.

Reynolds said the speed of the news cycle created a rare opening. Within hours, he realized most people suddenly talking about Astronomer had no idea what the company actually did. That’s when the idea clicked.

“Just 14 hours later, I’m paying for that,” he explained, noting they hadn’t even gotten formal approval yet. “But I knew nobody at that time knew what Astronomer does. So I was like, ‘What if Gwyneth explained it?’” Paltrow’s connection to the moment — she shares two children with Martin — helped make the choice feel both timely and a little too perfect.

Reynolds went on to praise the company itself, calling it “an amazing company” that “really does some amazing stuff.” More importantly, he said the PSA offered Astronomer a way to redirect attention. Instead of letting the story stay stuck in messy speculation, it gave the company a path back to its work — while still acknowledging the internet storm around it.

“It was a real opportunity for them to take the conversation away from where it was, which was quite toxic,” he said, “and really focus on something that mattered in a way that was fun and easy and emotional and lovely.”

Following the incident, both Byron and Cabot left the company. In a statement after Byron’s resignation, Astronomer said, “Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability, and recently, that standard was not met.”

Soon after, Astronomer shared Paltrow’s PSA on its social media channels with the caption, “Thank you for your interest in Astronomer.”

In the video, Paltrow introduces herself as a temporary spokesperson for Astronomer’s 300-plus employees, saying the company has received “a lot of questions” since the clip went viral. She then tees up the most common inquiries — including a blunt opener: “OMG! What the actual f—?” — but playfully swerves away from the gossip before any full question can land.

She closes by steering the message back where Astronomer wants it: “We will now be returning to what we do best, which is delivering game-changing results for our customers. Thank you for your interest in Astronomer.”