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Ben & Jerry’s has filed a legal complaint against its parent company, Unilever, over the removal of its CEO, David Stever. The ice cream maker claims that his dismissal was unlawful and retaliatory, stemming from Ben & Jerry's public political activism.
According to the company’s federal court filing, Unilever's decision to replace Stever violated their merger agreement, which requires consultation with Ben & Jerry’s advisory board before any such decision is made.
On March 3, 2025, Unilever informed Ben & Jerry’s board that they had removed Stever as CEO. Ben & Jerry’s argues that this decision was taken without following the proper procedures outlined in their merger agreement, which explicitly mandates consulting with the company’s advisory committee.
Ben & Jerry's sees the decision as retaliation for the company’s outspoken support of various social causes, including its stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
In response, Unilever expressed disappointment that Ben & Jerry’s disclosed the matter publicly, emphasizing that they had attempted to follow the correct internal process. Unilever also stressed that the issue at hand involved a confidential conversation, one that Ben & Jerry’s should have handled privately.
The tension between the two companies stems from their differing approaches to business and activism. Since Unilever acquired Ben & Jerry’s in 2000, the ice cream brand has maintained its commitment to progressive causes, including support for Palestinian rights and environmental issues.
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These positions have clashed with Unilever’s broader corporate strategy, particularly following Ben & Jerry’s decision in 2021 to cease selling ice cream in Israeli settlements.
The conflict reached a peak in 2022 when Unilever sold its Israeli business to a local company, which began selling Ben & Jerry's products under its Hebrew and Arabic names in Israel and the West Bank. This led to further tensions and calls from Ben & Jerry’s to assert its independence in making decisions related to social and political statements.
This lawsuit is not the first time Ben & Jerry’s has been at odds with Unilever over political activism. In 2021, Ben & Jerry's filed a lawsuit against Unilever for allegedly silencing its public statements in support of Palestinians amid the Gaza war.
Furthermore, the ice cream maker accused Unilever of preventing a social media post that highlighted key issues it planned to challenge during the second term of President Donald Trump, including minimum wages, climate change, and healthcare reform.
Ben & Jerry’s believes that Unilever has tried to suppress its advocacy efforts in favor of more neutral, market-friendly positions. These tensions highlight the ongoing struggle for brands like Ben & Jerry’s to balance social responsibility with corporate interests in a global market.
The legal battle between Ben & Jerry’s and Unilever comes at a time when the two companies are already facing significant challenges. Unilever announced plans in 2022 to spin off its ice cream business, including Ben & Jerry’s, by 2025 as part of a broader restructuring initiative.
