Ben & Jerry accused pro-Unilever of demanding silence against President Trump.
In a Thursday night application in Manhattan federal court, Ben & Jerry said that Unilever ice cream chief Peter Tell Krubb “issues a post criticizing President Trump while waiting for further review. “They said they unilaterally banned it.
Ben & Jerry said Tel Kurb cited Unilever's reorganization to protect his actions, saying it created “new dynamics in an unprecedented era.”
Ter Kulve previously banned planned posts on the hot button issue when Trump launched on January 20th because of Trump's mention of Trump, Ben & Jerry said.
Unilever did not immediately respond to requests for comment Friday.
Ben & Jerry did not respond immediately to similar requests.
Ben & Jerry's charges came in a lawsuit attempting to dismantle an independent board and stop Unilever's alleged efforts to end social activities.
Many businesses have either changed social policies, including diversity, or have appeared to show respect for Trump since Trump began his second White House term.
Ben & Jerry has been on a socially conscious mission since it was founded in 1978 by Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield.
Unilever bought Ben & Jerry's in 2000.
They have fought publicly since 2021, when Ben & Jerry stopped selling in the West Bank under Israeli occupation.
The business was later sold.
The planned spinoff is due to the large number of brands such as Dove, Hellmann's, Knorr, Surf, and Vaseline, as Unilever simplifies its product portfolio.
Unilever chose Amsterdam, which was the primary list for London and New York on Thursday when it ousted Ben & Jerry, Blayers, Magnum and other ice cream brands as independent companies.
Ice cream revenue totaled 8.3 billion euros ($8.72 billion) in 2024.
The case was made in the US District Court, No. 1, Southern District of New York. 24-08641 Ben & Jerry's Homemade Inc v Unilever et al, US District Court.
