A judge has ordered Kroger’s ousted CEO, Rodney McMullen, to testify in a lawsuit filed by folk singer Jewel against the grocery giant. Jewel claims that Kroger breached a contract with her over a wellness festival in Cincinnati, and she wants to know why McMullen resigned as CEO.
McMullen was removed from his position after an investigation found that he acted “inconsistent” with the company’s policies. However, the details of his resignation are not publicly known. Jewel’s attorneys believe that this information is crucial to their case and want to question McMullen about it under oath.
In a separate case, Kroger also asked a judge to compel McMullen to testify. Albertsons, another grocery store chain, made similar claims in its lawsuit against McMullen, stating that he “micro-managed the merger from beginning to end” and had questionable business ethics.
A court in Delaware instructed McMullen’s attorneys not to answer questions about his resignation due to concerns over potential embarrassment. However, Jewel’s attorneys argue that this information is essential to their case and that it relates to Kroger’s corporate culture.
The judge has ordered McMullen to provide a written answer detailing the circumstances surrounding his resignation. This response will be kept confidential and reviewed by the court before deciding whether Jewel’s attorneys can question him about it under oath.
Source: https://boisedev.com/news/2025/08/08/mcmullen-jewel-albertsons