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Ben & Jerry's is accusing its parent company, Unilever, of firing CEO David Stever for supporting the brand’s political activism. NBC News reported on March 19, 2025, that this comes amid an ongoing legal dispute between the two companies.
In a lawsuit filed on Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, Ben & Jerry's accused Unilever of violating their merger agreement by attempting to silence its long-standing social mission. Notably, both companies had also clashed before over the ice cream brand’s support of Palestinian refugees.
The British multinational Unilever acquired Ben & Jerry's in 2000. However, unlike other brands, the ice cream company has a unique corporate structure of an Independent Board of Directors to protect its activist and social mission.
Unilever dismiss Ben & Jerry's CEO David Stever: Reason explored
NBC News on March 19, 2025, reported that David Stever, the CEO of the frozen dessert brand was fired on March 3. The ice cream maker which has long been vocal on social and political issues complained Unilever dismissed him for supporting this vision.
Ben & Jerry's claimed Unilever threatened employees to suppress its activism. Their legal feud began in 2021 when Ben & Jerry's halted sales in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
However, Unilever’s independent decision to sell the ice cream brand’s products in Israel to a local licensee made Ben & Jerry's sue Unilever in 2022. The ice cream brand also alleges that its parent company has violated and interfered in the 2022 settlement agreement on several occasions when the former wanted to put out public statements.
The suit mentions (via NBC News):
“Ben and Jerry's customers expect the Company to publicly comment on pressing social issues and expect its highest-ranking officials—including the CEO and the independent Board—to be supportive of these causes.”
Meanwhile, as per the news outlet, a spokesperson for Unilever said in a statement that the acquisition agreement between the two companies notes that the decisions for key leadership decisions lie with the British multinational. However, it is contrary to the consultation requirement with the board.
The news outlet NBC quoted a spokesperson saying:
“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.”
The spokesperson further added:
“We hope that the B&J Independent Board will engage as per the original, agreed process.”
Meanwhile, Unilever which owns other ice cream brands including Magnum and Wall's filed a motion to dismiss the complaint Wednesday.
Unilever’s motion
Unilever’s motion according to NBC News alleges that the ice cream brand has failed to prove damages. It also states that the dispute is a result of the latter’s directors’ decision to dive into this highly controversial topic without any regard for the negative impact on both brands.
The news outlet quotes Unilever’s motion as:
“Over time, the social mission of B&J’s shifted, but in recent years it has come to a head as B&J’s seeks to advocate for one-sided, highly controversial, and polarizing topics that put Unilever, B&J’s, and their employees at risk.”
Notably, the motion also reportedly urged for a dismissal of the complaint.
