By Jonathan Stempel
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Ben & Jerry's accused its parent Unilever (LON:ULVR) of demanding its silence toward U.S. President Donald Trump, as it prepares to spin off the ice cream brand later this year.
In a Thursday night filing in Manhattan federal court, Ben & Jerry's said Unilever ice cream chief Peter ter Kulve earlier in the day unilaterally banned it from "issuing any posts criticizing President Trump" pending further review.
Ben & Jerry's said ter Kulve cited Unilever's restructuring in defending his actions, saying it created a "new dynamic" in an "unprecedented time."
Ter Kulve previously banned a planned post on hot-button issues when Trump was inaugurated on January 20 because the post mentioned Trump, Ben & Jerry's has said.
Unilever did not immediately respond on Friday to requests for comment. Ben & Jerry's did not immediately respond to a similar request.
Ben & Jerry's accusations came in its lawsuit seeking to stop Unilever's alleged efforts to dismantle its independent board and end its social activism.
Many companies have altered social policies, including on diversity, or appeared to show deference toward Trump since he began his second White House term.
Ben & Jerry's has had a socially conscious mission since being founded by Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield in 1978.
Unilever bought Ben & Jerry's in 2000. They have battled publicly since 2021, when Ben & Jerry's halted sales in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Its business there was later sold.
The planned spinoff comes as Unilever simplifies its product portfolio, which has dozens of brands including Dove, Hellmann's, Knorr, Surf and Vaseline.
Unilever on Thursday chose Amsterdam over London and New York for the primary listing when it spins off Ben & Jerry's, Breyers, Magnum and other ice cream brands as a standalone company. Ice cream revenue totaled 8.3 billion euros ($8.72 billion) in 2024.
The case is Ben & Jerry's Homemade Inc v Unilever et al, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 24-08641.
($1 = 0.9519 euros)