Ben & Jerry’s co-founder urges Kareena Kapoor to rethink Magnum ties over Palestine

Ben & Jerry’s co-founder Ben Cohen has urged Bollywood actor Kareena Kapoor Khan to reconsider her association with Unilever and Magnum, calling on her to use her public platform to advocate for Palestinians.

Cohen, a prominent critic of Israel’s war in Gaza and a vocal opponent of Unilever’s handling of Ben & Jerry’s, made the appeal in a post on X on August 21, directly addressing Kapoor’s long-standing relationship with the Magnum brand.

Cohen pointed to Kapoor’s decade-long association with Unilever and her past comments condemning violence against Palestinian children. He said Kapoor had previously used her public profile to speak against such violence and argued that her association with the company should now be reconsidered.

He also alleged that Unilever had taken steps to suppress criticism of the Israeli government, urging Kapoor to adopt a more explicit stance on the issue.

The comments come amid an ongoing legal and corporate dispute involving Ben & Jerry’s and its former parent company. The ice-cream brand was separated from Unilever’s ice-cream operations in 2025 and is now owned by Magnum Ice Cream Company.

Tensions between Ben & Jerry’s and Unilever have partly centred on the brand’s social-activism agenda. Ben & Jerry’s and members of its independent board have accused Unilever of interfering with the company’s social mission, allegations that Unilever has contested.

On August 21, a US judge dismissed several claims in the lawsuit and determined that Magnum, rather than Unilever, would be the principal defendant in the case moving forward.

Amid the dispute, Cohen appealed to Kapoor to use her influence to support what he described as efforts to preserve Ben & Jerry’s independence. He also encouraged his followers to bring the issue to the actor’s attention, using hashtags such as #BoycottMagnum and #FreeBenAndJerrys.

Cohen has remained outspoken about the Gaza war, regularly commenting on the conflict and issues surrounding corporate responsibility through social media.

His activism has also included participation in demonstrations and acts of civil disobedience. In April, he was reportedly among several dozen people arrested during a protest at a Lockheed Martin facility in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania.

Cohen’s appeal to Kapoor has since placed her brand associations within a broader debate over celebrity endorsements, corporate accountability and the role public figures should play in addressing international conflicts.