Ben & Jerry’s sues parent Unilever over free speech dispute

Things have gotten icier between Ben & Jerry’s and its parent Unilever. The ice cream brand sued the London-based conglomerate for allegedly censoring its independent board’s pro-Palestinian statements.

The ice cream maker’s board, established when Unilever acquired it in 2000, claims the corporate giant breached agreements meant to safeguard its decision-making on social issues.

It claims that Unilever threatened to dismantle the board and individually sue its members to block statement releases supporting a Gaza ceasefire.

Unilever, which also owns the Magnum and Breyers ice cream brands, refutes these claims and vows a strong defense.

Ben & Jerry’s and Unilever have been at odds. The latest escalation stems from the ice cream giant’s history as a socially active brand. A similar legal showdown arose in 2022 after Ben & Jerry’s opposed product sales in Israeli-occupied territories in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The ice cream maker sued Unilever when it sold the brand’s Israeli business to a licensee without permission.