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Ben & Jerry’s claims its CEO was wrongly fired because of the ice cream company’s progressive political stance.
In an amended complaint filed Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, Ben & Jerry’s accused its parent company, Unilever, of violating its contractual obligations when it removed CEO David Stever without properly consulting the company’s independent board of directors.
Ben & Jerry’s filed the initial version of this complaint in November 2024, accusing Unilever of silencing its public statements in support of “peace and a permanent and immediate ceasefire” and “the safe passage of Palestinian refugees” amid the Israel-Hamas war.
According to a letter filed to the court, Unilever is expected to file a motion to dismiss. It also announced in March 2024 it was looking to sell Ben & Jerry’s and its other ice cream brands, including Breyers and Magnum.
Unilever acquired Ben & Jerry’s in 2000. In the newly filed complaint, the Vermont-based ice cream company accused Unilever of violating rules stemming from their merger, including a rule “precluding the unilateral removal of its CEO.”
The ice cream company also claimed in the complaint 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.”
In addition, the company claimed that Unilever “repeatedly failed to recognize and respect” Ben & Jerry’s independence when it comes to social activism.
A Unilever spokesperson issued the following statement to TODAY.com on the alleged firing of Stever:
In line with the terms of the acquisition agreement, decisions on the appointment, compensation and removal of the Ben & Jerry’s CEO will be made by Unilever after good faith consultation and discussion with the B&J’s Independent Board. Regrettably, despite repeated attempts to engage the Board and follow the correct process, we are disappointed that the confidentiality of an employee career conversation has been made public. We hope that the B&J Independent Board will engage as per the original, agreed process.
Ben & Jerry’s, whose slogan is “peace, love, & ice cream,” has long been known for championing progressive causes.
Ben & Jerry’s, which was founded in 1978, openly participates in activism around climate change, racial justice, LGBTQ+ rights, campaign finance reform and numerous other causes, according to its website.
It has released numerous ice cream flavors in support of political causes, including 2021’s Change Is Brewing, linked to the company’s support for racial justice initiatives, and 2018’s Pecan Resist, which the company released in protest of President Trump’s policies.
Ben & Jerry’s also does not shy away from making political statements on social media.
Earlier this month, for example, the company shared an X post celebrating National Abortion Provider Appreciation Day. In another recent post, the company urged followers to protest the SAVE Act, a proposed piece of legislation that would tighten voter registration rules.
In its recently filed amended complaint, Ben & Jerry’s alleged that Unilever’s decision to removed Stever as CEO arose from his commitment to the company’s social values and his willingness to cooperate “in good faith” with the board, “rather than any genuine concerns regarding his performance history.”
In the complaint, Ben & Jerry’s also accused Unilever of “overreach” in other areas related to its social mission.
For example, the company claimed Unilever banned Ben & Jerry’s from sharing a social media post following the 2024 presidential election that “identified several social issues Ben & Jerry’s believed would be challenged during the Trump administration, including minimum wage, universal healthcare, abortion, and climate change.”
The company claimed Unilever “unilaterally barred Ben & Jerry’s from issuing the post because it specifically mentioned “Donald Trump.”
In the complaint, Ben & Jerry’s also claimed Unilever prevented the company from sharing a post about Black History Month. They also alleged their parent company recently barred them from sharing a post about free speech following the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian refugee and activist who was arrested by federal immigration agents and had his green card revoked after participating in protests at Columbia University.
Ben & Jerry’s also sued Unilever in 2022, after Unilever sold off the Israeli arm of Ben & Jerry’s to a local licensee. The ice cream brand had previously said it would end sales of its products in the region in protest of Israel’s illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank. A federal judge later rejected Ben & Jerry’s request to block a plan by Unilever to allow its products to be sold in east Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank.
EDITOR’S NOTE (March 19, 2025 at 7:03 p.m. ET): This story has been updated with a statement from Unilever.
Lindsay Lowe has been a regular contributor to TODAY.com since 2016, covering pop culture, style, home and other lifestyle topics. She is also working on her first novel, a domestic drama set in rural Regency England.
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