Jerry Greenfield, co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s, has resigned from the iconic ice cream brand after 47 years, citing irreconcilable tensions with its parent company, Unilever. The announcement, made on September 17, 2025, sparked a social media firestorm, with over 30,000 tweets mentioning Unilever within hours. Greenfield’s departure, rooted in disputes over the brand’s vocal support for Palestinian rights and opposition to the Gaza conflict, highlights a deepening rift between Ben & Jerry’s activist ethos and Unilever’s corporate oversight.
Greenfield, who launched Ben & Jerry’s with Ben Cohen in 1978, shared his resignation through a statement posted by Cohen on X at 3:55 AM GMT. He accused Unilever of stifling the brand’s social justice mission, particularly its stance on the "genocide in Gaza." When Unilever acquired Ben & Jerry’s in 2000, it agreed to an independent board to preserve the brand’s values. However, Greenfield claimed Unilever repeatedly overrode this autonomy, including blocking statements supporting Palestinians and halting sales in Israeli-occupied territories. “I can no longer in good conscience stay with a company being silenced on issues of human rights,” he wrote, prompting Cohen’s viral post to garner over 252,000 likes and 35,000 reposts.
This isn’t the first clash. In November 2024, Ben & Jerry’s sued Unilever for restricting its ability to comment on Gaza, followed by another lawsuit in April 2025 alleging Unilever fired CEO David Stever for backing the brand’s activism. These disputes underscore a broader conflict as Unilever prepares to spin off its ice cream division, including Ben & Jerry’s, into “The Magnum Ice Cream Company” by late 2025. Analysts suggest Unilever’s moves aim to neutralize the brand’s political voice, which has long championed causes from climate justice to racial equity.
The resignation ignited polarized reactions on X. Supporters, rallying under #FreeBenAndJerrys, praised Greenfield’s principled stand, with posts like “Unilever’s silencing Gaza support is diabolical—boycott their brands!” listing products like Dove and Hellmann’s. Progressive voices amplified calls for ethical consumption, while over 4,500 replies to Cohen’s post urged continued activism. Conversely, critics dismissed the move as “woke” posturing, with one user tweeting, “Ben & Jerry’s going broke over Gaza drama—Unilever’s better off without them.” The debate fueled global trends, with mentions of Unilever’s alleged “harm in Africa” and Cohen’s past protests, like confronting RFK Jr., resurfacing.
Unilever has remained silent on Greenfield’s exit but previously stated the ice cream demerger respects the 2000 agreement. The company’s stock (NYSE: UL) saw minor dips amid the controversy, reflecting investor unease. For Ben & Jerry’s, known for flavors like Cherry Garcia and a legacy of social advocacy, Greenfield’s departure marks a pivotal moment. His exit amplifies questions about corporate control versus brand identity, especially as the Gaza conflict remains a global flashpoint. As one X user put it, “Jerry’s legacy is bigger than Unilever’s bottom line.” With the demerger looming, the ice cream brand’s future—and its activist soul—hangs in the balance.
Greenfield, who launched Ben & Jerry’s with Ben Cohen in 1978, shared his resignation through a statement posted by Cohen on X at 3:55 AM GMT. He accused Unilever of stifling the brand’s social justice mission, particularly its stance on the "genocide in Gaza." When Unilever acquired Ben & Jerry’s in 2000, it agreed to an independent board to preserve the brand’s values. However, Greenfield claimed Unilever repeatedly overrode this autonomy, including blocking statements supporting Palestinians and halting sales in Israeli-occupied territories. “I can no longer in good conscience stay with a company being silenced on issues of human rights,” he wrote, prompting Cohen’s viral post to garner over 252,000 likes and 35,000 reposts.
This isn’t the first clash. In November 2024, Ben & Jerry’s sued Unilever for restricting its ability to comment on Gaza, followed by another lawsuit in April 2025 alleging Unilever fired CEO David Stever for backing the brand’s activism. These disputes underscore a broader conflict as Unilever prepares to spin off its ice cream division, including Ben & Jerry’s, into “The Magnum Ice Cream Company” by late 2025. Analysts suggest Unilever’s moves aim to neutralize the brand’s political voice, which has long championed causes from climate justice to racial equity.
The resignation ignited polarized reactions on X. Supporters, rallying under #FreeBenAndJerrys, praised Greenfield’s principled stand, with posts like “Unilever’s silencing Gaza support is diabolical—boycott their brands!” listing products like Dove and Hellmann’s. Progressive voices amplified calls for ethical consumption, while over 4,500 replies to Cohen’s post urged continued activism. Conversely, critics dismissed the move as “woke” posturing, with one user tweeting, “Ben & Jerry’s going broke over Gaza drama—Unilever’s better off without them.” The debate fueled global trends, with mentions of Unilever’s alleged “harm in Africa” and Cohen’s past protests, like confronting RFK Jr., resurfacing.
Unilever has remained silent on Greenfield’s exit but previously stated the ice cream demerger respects the 2000 agreement. The company’s stock (NYSE: UL) saw minor dips amid the controversy, reflecting investor unease. For Ben & Jerry’s, known for flavors like Cherry Garcia and a legacy of social advocacy, Greenfield’s departure marks a pivotal moment. His exit amplifies questions about corporate control versus brand identity, especially as the Gaza conflict remains a global flashpoint. As one X user put it, “Jerry’s legacy is bigger than Unilever’s bottom line.” With the demerger looming, the ice cream brand’s future—and its activist soul—hangs in the balance.
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