NEW YORK – Ben & Jerry’s co-founder Ben Cohen has announced that the ice cream maker’s independent board has filed a lawsuit against its new parent company, Magnum, accusing it of interfering with the brand’s legally protected social mission. The move comes just one week after Ben & Jerry’s was placed under The Magnum Ice Cream Company, a Unilever subsidiary.
In a statement shared on social media, Cohen said Magnum attempted to remove three key members of the independent board that oversees Ben & Jerry’s social mission. He argued that the parent company does not have the legal authority to intervene in the board’s composition, calling the move both unlawful and unethical.
Right now, control is being tightened.
Ben & Jerry’s independence is on the line.Speak up. Tell @MagnumGlobal you want a #freebenandjerrys. Sign the letter: https://t.co/p8Qqyw3Ei5 pic.twitter.com/0yK1sdr7Oy
— Ben Cohen (@YoBenCohen) December 16, 2025
Ben Cohen, co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s, is pushing back against the brand’s parent company, Magnum Ice Cream Company, which has ousted three members of Ben & Jerry’s independent board.
“They’re undermining the values and the social mission of Ben and Jerry’s, and thereby,… pic.twitter.com/YgpmrFMhgy
— CBS News (@CBSNews) December 17, 2025
Ben & Jerry’s has long operated under a unique governance structure established when the company was sold to Unilever in 2000. That arrangement created an independent board specifically tasked with safeguarding the brand’s social and political values, even after the sale to a multinational corporation.
According to Reuters, the disputed removals stem from newly introduced governance rules, including a nine-year term limit for board members. Among those affected is board chair Anuradha Mittal, who joined in 2007 and has led the board since 2018. Mittal has previously said she would not step down under pressure, describing the effort as an attempt to weaken the board’s authority.
Ben & Jerry’s confirmed that directors serving longer than nine years would not be eligible for re-election from 2026, with some removals taking effect immediately. Critics argue that enforcing these changes now would dramatically reduce the board’s size and independence.
Cohen strongly defended the outgoing directors, praising their service and warning that the move threatens the core values that define the brand. He said the social mission is central to Ben & Jerry’s identity and commercial success.
Magnum, however, disputes the accusations. The parent company claims the foundation trustees have failed to address governance and financial control issues. The trustees have rejected these claims, calling them misleading and part of a broader effort to justify tighter corporate control.
The lawsuit marks the latest escalation in a long-running conflict between Ben & Jerry’s leadership and its corporate owners over activism, governance, and independence.