By Jonathan Stempel
March 26 (Reuters) – Unilever and its recently spun-off Magnum ice cream unit were sued for defamation on Thursday by Anuradha Mittal, who was ousted in December as chair of Ben & Jerry’s independent board, saying the companies vilified and discredited her for supporting Palestinian rights.
The lawsuit escalates a years-long dispute over what Ben & Jerry’s and its board say were Unilever’s efforts to undermine their autonomy and the brand’s social mission, including by removing former Ben & Jerry’s Chief Executive Dave Stever.
Unilever did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Magnum said in an email: “The claims are unfounded and we are confident the court process will show this.”
In a complaint filed in the Oakland, California, federal court, Mittal said her support for Palestinian rights and a ceasefire in Gaza “rankled” Unilever, with the acrimony escalating after Unilever announced the Magnum spinoff in March 2024.
She said the defamation included claims she engaged in self-dealing, received improper benefits, diverted funds from the nonprofit Ben & Jerry’s Foundation, created a toxic work environment, and was unfit to remain board chair following internal investigations.
“Defendants achieved their goal of thoroughly humiliating and discrediting Ms. Mittal,” harming her reputation and causing depression and chronic insomnia, the complaint said.
Unilever retained a 19.9% stake in Magnum following the December spinoff.
FOUR-DECADE RELATIONSHIP UNRAVELED
Mittal is seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages. She said Unilever and Magnum acted with “actual malice,” meaning they knew their statements were false or had reckless disregard for their truth.
Raised in Kanpur, India, Mittal is the founder and executive director of the Oakland Institute, a think tank focused on the rights of farmers, forest dwellers, indigenous communities and “pastoralists.”
Ben & Jerry’s has had a socially conscious mission since its 1978 founding by Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, and was acquired by Unilever in 2000.
The relationship began unraveling in 2021 when Ben & Jerry’s said it would stop selling ice cream in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
Ben & Jerry’s sued Unilever in November 2024 to stop alleged efforts to dismantle its board and end its progressive social activism, which has also included attempts to criticize U.S. President Donald Trump.
That lawsuit remains pending, and the Ben & Jerry’s Foundation obtained court permission last week to join as a plaintiff.
Magnum has called the litigation “regrettable” and said it was committed to supporting Ben & Jerry’s.
(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Matthew Lewis and Chris Reese)
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