Jerry Greenfield, co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s, has resigned after 47 years and accused its parent company, Unilever, of silencing their activism.
In a letter posted to X/Twitter, Greenfield said “this is one of the hardest and most painful decisions I’ve ever made,” citing a loss of the company’s independence to pursue its values, “which was guaranteed when Unilever bought the company.”
“For more than twenty years under their ownership, Ben & Jerry’s stood up and spoke out in support of peace, justice, and human rights, not as abstract concepts, but in relation to real events happening in our world,” explained Greenfield.
“It’s profoundly disappointing to come to the conclusion that that independence, the very basics of our sale to Unilever, is gone.”
Greenfield said the ice-cream brand has been silenced during a time “when our country’s current administration is attacking civil rights, voting rights, the rights of immigrants, women and the LGBTQ community.
“Standing up for the values of justice, equity, and our shared humanity has never been more important, and yet Ben & Jerry’s has been silenced, sidelined for fear of upsetting those in power. It’s easy to stand up and speak out when there’s nothing at risk.
“The real test of values is when times are challenging and you have something to lose.”
As Greenfield concluded his statement, he stressed how Ben & Jerry’s has always been “about more than ice cream” and a way to positively impact the world – something he says is “no longer possible.”
After 47 years, Jerry has made the difficult decision to step down from the company we built together. I’m sharing his words as he resigns from Ben & Jerry’s. His legacy deserves to be true to our values, not silenced by @MagnumGlobal #FreeBenAndJerrys pic.twitter.com/EZXGRjs76a
— Ben Cohen (@YoBenCohen) September 17, 2025
“[This] means I can no longer remain part of Ben & Jerry’s,” he added. “If I can’t carry those values forward inside the company today, then I will carry them forward outside, with all the love and conviction I can.”
Greenfield and Cohen’s tensions with Unilever have been ongoing for years.
In 2024, Ben & Jerry’s social mission board launched legal action against the parent company – which also owns brands like Magnum and Wall’s – accusing it of blocking them from making public statements in support of Palestine.
Just last week, the co-founders published an open letter to the board and potential investors, calling for Ben & Jerry’s to be “released.”
Although Cohen hasn’t stepped down, he backed his co-founder by sharing the letter on X.
In his caption, he wrote that Greenfield’s “legacy deserves to be true to our values, not silenced by @MagnumGlobal,” adding the hashtag: “#FreeBenAndJerrys.”