Ben & Jerry’s reputation as America’s wokest brand may soon be at an end.
The ice cream company, notorious for its calorie-laden products, has accused its parent company of sacking CEO Dave Stever after he refused to “oversee the dismantling” of its progressive values.
Ben & Jerry’s claimed in a filing to the US District Court for the Southern District of New York that Unilever, the UK-based consumer giant behind brands like Marmite and Dove, sought to prevent the company’s leadership from making political statements.
These included statements critical of President Donald Trump.
Anuradha Mittal, the chair of Ben & Jerry’s independent board, wrote in the court filing:
Dave has courageously advanced the company’s social mission and values, has continued to drive innovation in its super premium product range, and has delivered strong financial results, far outpacing the rest of Unilever’s ice-cream business,” said Anuradha Mittal, the chair of Ben & Jerry’s independent board.
What Dave hasn’t done is what Unilever would like him to do, which is to oversee the dismantling of Ben & Jerry’s mission, progressive values. That is why the independent board has sued Unilever and why Unilever is seeking to punish the chief executive.”
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.
On 3 March 2025, Unilever informed the independent board that they were removing and replacing Mr Stever as Ben & Jerry’s CEO.
Ben & Jerry’s was founded in 1978 in Vermont by Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, initially as a small ice shop.
It grew rapidly, becoming known not just for its ice cream but also for its left-wing activism.
When Unilever acquired the company in 2000, an independent board was set up to try and protect its “progressive values” from Unilever.
Over the past few years alone, Ben & Jerry’s has publicly supported defunding the police, Black Lives Matter, halted sales in Israeli settlements as part of a boycott, promoted open borders, and advocated for radical climate action.
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The company also regularly issues statements on race, gender, and left-wing social justice causes, which it claims is part of an effort to “eliminate injustices in our communities by integrating these concerns into our day-to-day business activities.”
