Ben & Jerry’s claims Unilever ousted its boss over political activism

Ben & Jerry’s has said its chief executive, David Stever, was being removed by its parent company, Unilever, in a growing dispute over the ice cream company’s political activism.

The allegation was part of a legal case filed in a US court by Ben & Jerry’s that says Unilever violated a merger agreement by trying to silence its “social mission”.

It comes a month after the ice cream company accused Unilever of demanding that it stops publicly criticising US President Donald Trump.

A Unilever spokesperson said it is “disappointed that the confidentiality of an employee career conversation has been made public”.

It said it had made “repeated attempts to engage the [Ben & Jerry’s] board and follow the correct process”.

The filing with the US District Court for the Southern District of New York said Unilever had “repeatedly threatened Ben & Jerry’s personnel, including CEO David Stever, should they fail to comply with Unilever’s efforts to silence the social mission”.

Ben & Jerry’s has long been known for taking a public stance on social issues since it was founded in 1978 by Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield.

It has often backed campaigns on issues like LGBTQ+ rights and climate change.

The ice cream maker was bought by Unilever in 2000 through a merger agreement that created an independent board tasked with protecting the ice cream brand’s values and mission.

But Unilever and Ben & Jerry’s have been at loggerheads for a while. Their relationship soured in 2021 when Ben & Jerry’s announced it was halting sales in the West Bank.

The dispute escalated over the last year as Ben & Jerry’s advocated for a ceasefire in Gaza.

In November, the ice cream company filed a lawsuit saying Unilever had tried to stop it from expressing support for Palestinian refugees.

Last month, in another court filing, Ben & Jerry’s said Unilever had tried to ban it from publicly criticising Donald Trump.

Mr Stever has been with Ben & Jerry’s since joining the firm in 1988 as a tour guide. He was appointed chief executive in 2023.

Ben and Jerry’s court filing said the decision to oust Mr Stever was made without any consultation, as required in the merger agreement between the two companies.

“Unilever… attempted to force the independent board into rubberstamping the decision,” it added.

The Unilever spokesperson said: “In line with the terms of the acquisition agreement, decisions on the appointment, compensation and removal of the Ben & Jerry’s chief executive will be made by Unilever after good faith consultation and discussion with the B&J’s Independent Board.”

“We hope that the B&J Independent Board will engage as per the original, agreed process,” they added.