Ben & Jerry’s has accused parent company Unilever of ousting its chief executive in a legal dispute over the ice cream brand’s edgy political stances.
In a lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, Ben & Jerry’s claims Unilever violated their merger agreement by unfairly trying to gag its “social mission.” The filing alleges that Unilever “repeatedly threatened Ben & Jerry’s personnel, including CEO David Stever, should they fail to comply with Unilever’s efforts to silence the social mission.”
The dispute follows Ben & Jerry’s accusations last month that Unilever tried to stop it from publicly criticizing President Trump. Since its founding in 1978, Ben & Jerry’s has been vocal on social issues, from climate change to LGBTQ+ rights.
The company’s relationship with Unilever has been strained since 2021 when the ice cream component halted sales in the West Bank to protest Israeli policy there.
Tensions escalated after Ben & Jerry’s publicly called for a ceasefire in Gaza and sued the London-based giant in November, claiming the Vermont subsidiary was blocked from supporting Palestinian refugees.
The ice cream maker’s latest lawsuit argues that Mr. Stever’s removal was made “without any consultation, as required in the merger agreement.” It also claims Unilever “attempted to force the independent board into rubber-stamping the decision.”
The Washington Times has reached out to Unilever for comment.
