Ice cream maker Ben & Jerry’s has accused its parent company of firing its CEO over his support of the brand’s progressive politics.
On Tuesday, the Vermont-based brand filed an amended complaint in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, alleging that Unilever “has repeatedly threatened Ben & Jerry’s personnel, including CEO David Stever, should they fail to comply with Unilever’s efforts to silence the Social Mission.”
According to the complaint, Unilever followed through and removed Stever as CEO on March 3, allegedly violating agreements struck during the companies’ 2000 merger that granted Ben & Jerry’s independent board “primary responsibility” over its social mission and brand integrity.
Ben & Jerry’s also accused Unilever of attempting to suppress its social mission in several instances, including by allegedly preventing the brand from commemorating Black History Month on social media and blocking it from sharing a statement online in support of Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian activist and legal U.S. permanent resident whom the Trump administration is seeking to deport in what civil rights groups say is an attack on free speech.
Unilever, Ben & Jerry’s and Stever did not immediately respond to NBC News’ request for comment Wednesday. Unilever is expected to file a motion to dismiss, per a letter filed to the court, NBC News reported.
These accusations are the latest point of contention between Ben & Jerry’s and Unilever. Tuesday’s amended filing is part of a lawsuit that the ice cream maker first filed against its parent company in November, alleging that Unilever silenced its public criticism of “the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza” amid the Israel-Hamas war.
Ben & Jerry’s has previously accused Unilever of bypassing its board with business decisions. In 2022, the brand sued its parent company over the sale of its Israeli business to a local licensee after Ben & Jerry’s announced its decision to stop selling its products in the occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem, which effectively circumvented the boycott. A federal judge ruled against Ben & Jerry’s in that case.
