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Ben & Jerry claims that her parent company Unilever has shot her executive boss after less than two years in the role as a line between the two parties on the political activism of the ice brand escalates.
In a legal appeal filed with the US District Court for the Southern New York District on Tuesday night, Ben & Jerry claimed that UNILEVER rejected the chief executive David Stever after he failed to respect the parent company’s efforts to prevent him from talking about political issues.
“Unilever has repeatedly threatened Ben & Jerry’s staff, including CEO David Stever, if they fail to respect Unilever’s efforts to silence the social mission,” read in the file.
“On March 3, 2025, Unilever informed the Independent Board that they were removing and replacing Mr. Stever as CEO to Ben & Jerry.”
Unilever did not respond immediately to a comment request.
The registration is the latest flame between the brand and its parent company how Ben & Jerry communicates the “social mission”, including its call for a ceasefire in Gaza and support for Palestinian refugees.
Last November, Ben & Jerry filed a complaint claiming that Unilever had tried to block her call for ceasefire in Gaza and prevent her from expressing support for Palestinian refugees. Unilever rejected the claims.
Both sides have a history of dispute over Israel and Palestine. In 2022, Ben & Jerry was sued Unilever after the parent company blocked its efforts to stop the sale of ice cream in the occupied territories by disposing of the Israeli brand one local licensing.
The manufacturer of ice cream aromas like Phish Food and Chunky Monkey was purchased by Unilever in 2000. A union deal was reached between the two, creating an independent board to protect Ben & Jerry’s values and brand integrity.
The Board claims that Unilever is trying to “disassemble” him and to sue individual members, violating the terms of the Union Agreement.
“Dave has boldly advanced the company’s mission and social values,” said Anuradha Mittal, the chairman of the independent board.
“What Dave has not done is what Unilever would like to do, which is to oversee the dismantling of Ben & Jerry’s mission, the progressive values and the 2000 union agreement that has defended Ben & Jerry as an autonomous branch in full ownership,” she added.
Unilever, who makes daily goods from shampoo and laundry cleaner in make-up, is in the process of sharing his € 8 billion revenue business in order to rank him in the Netherlands.
Stever was promoted to chief executive in May 2023 and previously was Ben & Jerry’s leading marketing official. He first joined the company as a factory tournament in 1988.
