The common bias behind Blake Lively’s fallout

Welcome to The Lead, Lean In’s newsletter connecting you with the latest news and insights to help you advance in your career and achieve your ambitions. Have ideas of what you want to see us cover? Email us at [email protected]—we’d love to hear from you. Let’s dive right in.

Like many, I’ve found myself following the controversy surrounding the recent film It Ends with Us, starring Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni. While much media coverage has focused on Lively’s fallout, I’ve been surprised by how little has been said about a common bias behind it.?

In case you missed it: in December, Lively filed a legal complaint against Wayfarer Studios, the film’s production company, accusing them of retaliating with a PR campaign against her after she raised concerns about sexual harassment by Baldoni on set.?

According to The New York Times, Baldoni (who was also the film’s director) and Jamey Heath (the film’s lead producer) hired a public relations firm to seed and amplify negative stories about Lively. But how do you take down a famous actor with decades of career success, 45 million Instagram followers, and a thriving business empire??

Show the world how difficult and insensitive she is, how much of a diva or a bully she had been. Make her seem, in one word, unlikable.

The campaign worked—fast. Within weeks, the tides of public support shifted. Negative press about Lively skyrocketed. And sales from her new hair care line plummeted.?

One crucial yet overlooked reason the campaign proved so effective was that it tapped into a deeply rooted bias that disproportionately harms women: likability bias. As women become more powerful and successful, we tend to like them less. But also—because society expects women to be kind, nurturing, and accommodating—they face blowback when they go against the grain like Lively did. And research shows being on the receiving end of this “likability penalty” doesn’t only tarnish women’s reputations; it undermines their credibility and authority as well.

Men simply don't face this bias. For one, we tend to like men more as they become more powerful and successful. In addition, because we expect men to be assertive, independent, or aggressive, they are rarely punished—and may even be celebrated—when they act in these ways. This dynamic is especially pronounced in Hollywood, where the demanding or even abusive behavior of men directors is often accepted as a necessary part of their creative process.?

Indeed, the way likability bias operates makes it all but impossible to imagine that the campaign that took down Lively would have been even a fraction as effective against a man.?

The thing is, likability bias doesn’t just impact celebrities. It shows up every day in countless spaces, from the workplace to politics. To learn more, check out our 50 Ways to Fight Bias program.

—Priya Fielding-Singh, Senior Manager, Lean In

Lost ground. Since 2019, girls’ test scores in reading, math, and science have dropped—and more severely than boys’. This gender gap suggests that pandemic learning loss hit girls especially hard in ways not yet addressed by schools. Possible causes include a rise in behavior problems during the pandemic that led teachers to pay more attention to boys, as well as girls taking on additional caregiving and household responsibilities during and after the pandemic. The Wall Street Journal

Discrimination in development. The real estate development industry remains dominated by white men, and women developers say they often feel that they’re treated differently because of their gender. The numbers show a deck stacked against them: women own just 2.8% of real estate firms and hold just 9% percent of C-suite positions in commercial real estate. There is also a gap in men’s and women’s compensation in the industry–especially in their commissions and bonuses. The New York Times

“We’ve proved we can do anything.” Women’s rights groups have been active throughout the years of war and turmoil in Syria. Now they are calling on the new regime to recognize their worth. There is little clarity about how the new government will rule, particularly regarding women. Even so, many see this moment as an opportunity and say women are ready to dissent against any new authority wanting further control of their lives. The Guardian

A new record. The share of women running Fortune 500 companies reached an all-time high of 11.6% this week, with 58 women now in CEO roles. This milestone follows a series of recent appointments, including leadership changes at Ulta and Principal Financial Group. Notably, women who assume CEO positions are more likely to do so through internal promotions—meaning they’ve built a strong track record within their company—rather than being hired externally. In fact, 76% of women CEOs in the Fortune 500 were promoted from within. Fortune

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January is officially National Mentoring Month, a perfect time to step up and mentor someone more junior. It can also be a great way to act as an ally by mentoring someone who has less privilege than you. While it’s well-known that mentorship helps mentees, did you know that mentorship also benefits mentors in important ways? To learn more about the powerful impact of mentorship, check out 4 things all mentors and mentees should know, where you'll find research-backed tips for building meaningful and impactful relationships.

Dear Lean In,

I’ve been left pretty deflated after my end-of-year performance review. I feel like I’ve worked harder than ever before. I stayed late and volunteered for extra projects, yet my review was still underwhelming.?

I’m wondering: Is this something I should address with my manager directly, or should I just let it go and focus on doing better next year? How can I navigate this situation without potentially burning a bridge with my supervisor?

Thank you, Frustrated by Feedback

Dear Frustrated by Feedback,

First and foremost, know that you’re not alone. Many women find themselves in similar situations. Studies show that women are more likely than men to have their contributions underestimated and less likely to benefit from established networks that trumpet their successes. It’s also harder for women to self-promote without being judged.

While all of this puts you in a tough spot, the advice below can help you navigate gender bias and better position yourself for your next performance review:

1. Share your ambitions. Your boss may not be aware that you are driven and working hard to advance, so make this clear to them and ask for their help. They are well-placed to offer you the kinds of stretch assignments and high-visibility projects that lead to advancement.
2. Make sure your boss is aware of your achievements. It sounds like your manager may not be aware of all you do, so ask them how they’d like to gain more visibility into your work—for example, in a monthly email or a list that you update on a rolling basis. You can also offer to send a roundup of your prior year’s wins to support their review writing.?
3. Share evidence of your work’s impact. Pass on positive feedback from clients, send an email highlighting your team’s recent accomplishments, or share success metrics that you’ve directly impacted.?
4. Align on what success looks like in your role. It may be that your manager is aware of your hard work but isn’t excited about it because it doesn’t match their priorities. It’s important to figure out which of your work streams are most important to them—and make those your priority. Ask for specifics on how you can exceed expectations on those projects and make notes on the conversation to refer back to.?
5. Build strong relationships with colleagues who can advocate for you. Get to know people across levels and teams. Make a point of connecting with senior employees who can promote your talents. And talk to your peers about how you can all amplify each other’s accomplishments. By building these connections, you increase the chance that someone will speak up about your talents when you’re not in the room.

Warm wishes,

Dr. Mary Noble-Tolla