Ben Cohen’s Wife, Cynthia Cohen, Balanced Her Profession As A Psychologist With A Close-Knit Family
Ben Cohen, an American businessman, activist, and philanthropist, was arrested during a protest that disrupted a Senate hearing involving Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr.
On Wednesday in Capitol Hill, he was protesting against the U.S. military’s aid to Israel and the humanitarian conditions in Gaza.
He lives in Jericho, Vermont, with his wife, Cynthia, and daughter, Aretha.
Highlights
- Ben Cohen’s wife, Cynthia, balanced her career as a psychologist while supporting his endeavors.
- The married couple has a daughter, Aretha, and lives in Jericho, Vermont.
- As a political activist, Ben has been arrested multiple times, and he was escorted out of a meeting in May 2025, shouting, RFK kills people with AIDS.
Bennett Cohen met his business partner Jerry Greenfield in seventh-grade gym class in 1963, and they continued to Sanford H. Calhoun High School.
After dropping out of college, he pursued his interest in pottery over the next decade. Later, in 1977, he decided to go into business with his old friend Jerry.
They planned to start a bagel business, but switched to ice cream due to prohibitive equipment costs. In May 1978, they opened Ben & Jerry’s Homemade Ice Cream Parlor in Burlington, Vermont.
The two businessmen chose Burlington as their business location because it is a prominent college town without ice cream shops. Later, he resigned as chief executive officer of Ben & Jerry’s in 1996.
Furthermore, Ben had turned his wealth and prominence toward various political causes, generally through the Ben & Jerry’s Foundation. He is a Democratic candidate and supports progressive causes.
His recent arrest was charged under a District of Columbia code prohibiting crowding, obstructing, or incommoding.
I told Congress they’re killing poor kids in Gaza by buying bombs, and they’re paying for it by kicking poor kids off Medicaid in the U.S.
Ben Cohen’s Wife Is The Steady Force Being His Successful Journey
Ben Cohen is widely recognized for his entrepreneurial success and social activism. His wife, Cynthia Cohen, has been a steadfast partner behind the scenes.
She balanced her career as a psychologist while supporting his endeavors.
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The married couple built a loving family in Jericho, Vermont, raising their daughter, Aretha Cohen, in a close-knit community.
Cynthia is a licensed psychologist who specializes in mental health and well-being.
Although she maintains a relatively private life compared to her famous husband, her professional work reflects a deep commitment to helping others.
Her background in psychology likely plays a significant role in the couple’s dynamic, offering emotional support and insight as Ben navigates business, activism, and family life.
The Cohen family resides in a peaceful setting that provides a nurturing environment for their daughter, Aretha Cohen.
They have maintained a low family profile, and Cynthia likely values a grounded, family-oriented lifestyle away from the public eye.
While Ben is often in the spotlight for his business ventures and political activism, Cynthia’s steady presence as a psychologist, wife, and mother has been essential to their family’s success.
Ben Cohen, A Political Activist, Has Been Arrested Multiple Times
Ben Cohen has spent decades leveraging his wealth and influence for progressive causes, often courting controversy and arrest.
His activism has made him a polarizing figure far beyond the world of ice cream, from campaign finance reform to opposing U.S. military aid to Ukraine.
UPDATE: Jodie and I have been released from police custody after being held for ~3hrs. It’s time for @POTUS to follow thru with his promise — Journalism is NOT a crime. #Dropthecharges and #FreeAssange pic.twitter.com/3960AJZurb
— Ben Cohen (@YoBenCohen) July 6, 2023
After building Ben & Jerry’s into one of America’s most beloved ice cream brands, Ben shifted his focus to activism, primarily through the Ben & Jerry’s Foundation.
He founded TrueMajority and Business Leaders for Sensible Priorities, organizations advocating for progressive economic and foreign policy reforms.
He has long supported Democratic candidates, including Dennis Kucinich in 2004 and Barack Obama in 2008. However, his activism extends beyond electoral politics, often into civil disobedience.
His Stamp Stampede campaign, in which activists stamped dollar bills with anti-corruption slogans, aimed to overturn Citizens United and reduce corporate influence in politics.
Ben has been arrested multiple times while protesting for various causes. He was arrested with Jerry Greenfield at a Democracy Awakening protest in Washington, D.C., demanding campaign finance reform in April 2016.
Likewise, he was arrested in July 2023 while demonstrating against the U.S. prosecution of Julian Assange.
Nonetheless, Ben was escorted out of a meeting in May 2025, shouting, “RFK kills people with AIDS,” a reference to Kennedy’s controversial opinion on the disease.
Additional Information
- Bennett Cohen, the son of Jewish parents Francis and Irving, was born on March 18, 1951, in New York City, New York.
- He was named a national co-chair of Bernie Sanders’ 2020 campaign on February 21, 2019.
- He started Ben’s Best Blnz, or B3, a non-profit firm that offered cannabis products like low-THC pre-rolls and full-spectrum vapes in 2023.
- As of 2025, his net worth is estimated at $150 million.
