Removed Ben & Jerry's chair says Magnum aimed to 'smear' her

BBC News - WorldEN 3 min read 100% complete December 19, 2025 at 09:48 PM

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Anuradha Mittal, the former chair of Ben & Jerry's independent board, claims Magnum Ice Cream Company, the brand's new owner, threatened to smear her reputation if she didn't resign. Magnum stated Mittal no longer met board criteria after an external investigation. The company also announced changes to board operations, including term limits, resulting in the departure of Mittal and two other members. Magnum cited an audit revealing "material deficiencies" in the Ben & Jerry's Foundation's financial controls and governance. Mittal says the dispute stems from disagreements over Ben & Jerry's independence and social mission, including speaking out on human rights. Ben & Jerry's has a history of friction with its owners, including Unilever, over its social stances, such as refusing sales in Israeli-occupied territories.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Unilever ×270% Magnum Ice Cream Company ×280% Anuradha Mittal ×2100% Ben & Jerry's ×4100%

Keywords

ben & jerry's 100% board independence 80% social mission 70% anuradha mittal 70% magnum 60% smear campaign 60% unilever 50% governance 50% human rights 40% financial controls 40%

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Negative

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BBC News - World

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90%

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ben & jerry's board independence social mission anuradha mittal magnum smear campaign unilever governance human rights financial controls

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