Ben & Jerry’s has filed an amended court complaint alleging that Unilever is unlawfully trying to oust the ice cream firm’s CEO.
The complaint forms part of ongoing litigation between the two companies, who remain deadlocked over the terms of their merger agreement.
So far, Ben & Jerry’s has claimed ‘repeated overreaches’ by Unilever into the ice cream company’s social mission, including claims of censorship. Unilever does not comment on matters involving ongoing litigation, we were told.
Only last month, the Vermont-based ice cream company fired a fresh round of ammunition at its parent by alleging that Unilever blocked Ben & Jerry’s from posting a social media statement criticising Donald Trump’s policies.
And in a newly-updated complaint filed on March 18, 2025, the ice cream brand is airing yet more grievances – by claiming that senior Unilever figures had been trying to oust Ben & Jerry’s CEO David Stever without a nod from the ice cream company’s independent board.
“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,” the amended complaint reads. “On March 3, 2025, Unilever informed the Independent Board that they were removing and replacing Mr Stever as Ben & Jerry’s CEO.”
Ben & Jerry’s also alleges that Unilever pressured the brand’s board to approve the CEO’s removal by “unilaterally dictating artificial and hasty deadlines”.
“For example, Unilever attempted to impose an arbitrary four-day deadline for the Independent Board to convene, appoint a committee, analyze the merits of removal, draft a ‘consultation’ in writing, and send it to Unilever, despite Unilever claiming they had been contemplating the removal for over four months,” the court document reads.
The Cherry Garcia maker goes on to suggest its CEO had landed in hot water for allowing the ice cream brand to publish social and political messages.
To support that claim, Ben & Jerry’s cites Stever’s annual performance review, where “Unilever chastised [the CEO] for ‘repeatedly acquiesce[ing] to the demands of the Independent Social Mission Board’ by allowing Ben & Jerry’s to post statements the Independent Board had collaboratively worked on with Ben & Jerry’s management.
“Unilever’s actions breached the Merger Agreement by obstructing the CEO’s duties, purposely undermining Ben & Jerry’s Social Mission and Brand Integrity, and failing to abide by the agreed procedure for removal of Ben & Jerry’s CEO,” the ice cream brand summarizes in its latest complaint.
‘Startling new levels of oppressiveness’
Besides the dynamics of boardroom politics, Ben & Jerry’s amended complaint reveals new examples of ‘overreaches’ from Unilever – including allegedly blocking Ben & Jerry’s calls for ‘dismantling white supremacy’ and stopping it from posting about a college student arrested for pro-Palestinian statements.
The document also reveals that Unilever is planning a restructure at Ben & Jerry’s as the CPG major gears to de-merge its entire Ice Cream division.
According to the court document, Unilever told Ben & Jerry’s on March 5 that a restructure is ‘imminent’ – but ‘failed to engage with the Independent Board in good faith regarding how the restructuring will preserve the rights, duties, and obligations specified in the parties’ agreements,” the ice cream maker claims.
“Any restructuring inconsistent with preserving the Independent Board’s authority would constitute a breach of Unilever’s contractual obligations, damaging the Independent Board’s authority as well as the rights they are granted within the agreement,” the company alleges in one of the counts.
The case, first filed on November 13, 2024 at the New York Southern District Court, continues.
