Ben & Jerry’s has filed an amended complaint against its parent company Unilever after the firing of its CEO David Stever. Filing its amended complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York on Tuesday, the Vermont-based ice cream company said Unilever violated its contractual obligations when it removed Stever without consulting the independent board of directors.
Ben & Jerry’s filed its initial lawsuit in November 2024, Today.com reported. At that time, Ben & Jerry’s said Unilever silenced the brand’s stance on the conflict between Palestine and Israel, claiming that Unilever silenced its support for “a permanent and immediate ceasefire” and “the safe passage of Palestinian refugees.”
What did Ben & Jerry’s say in its complaint against Unilever?
In its amended complaint, Ben & Jerry’s said 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.” Ben & Jerry’s, who uses “peace, love, & ice cream” as its slogan, also stated that Unilever “repeatedly failed to recognize and respect” the brand’s independence on activism. The complaint added, “This month … Unilever followed through with their threats.”
Additionally, the lawsuit states that Unilever stopped Ben & Jerry’s from sharing a social media post that was critical of President Donald Trump following the 2024 Presidential Election. The complaint adds that Ben & Jerry’s was stopped from sharing a post about Black History Month as well. More recently, the parent company blocked Ben & Jerry’s from sharing a post about Mahmoud Khalil, the Palestinian activist who was arrested by immigration agents, the complaint adds.
Unilever told NPR in a statement, “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 has long championed progressive causes, from Black Lives Matter to LGBTQ+ rights
For decades, Ben & Jerry’s has been speaking out on important issues, including climate change, racial justice and LGBTQ+ rights. In 2021, the company released its Change Is Brewing flavor to show support racial justice. Ben & Jerry’s also created the Pecan Resist in 2018 to protest Trump’s policies.
