Quick Facts
- Occupation: Former associate producer, Fox Business Network; later podcast host and nonprofit founder
- Known for: 2020 lawsuit against Fox News and former anchor Ed Henry
- Employer: Fox Business Network (2013–2020)
- Case filed: July 2020, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York
- Case outcome: Fox News dismissed as a defendant (March 2025); claims against Ed Henry settled out of court (June 2025)
- Died: September 2026, at age 36; ruled a suicide by the Martin County Sheriff’s Office
Who Was Jennifer Eckhart?
Jennifer Eckhart was a journalist who worked as an associate producer at Fox Business Network from 2013 to 2020. She became widely known after filing a lawsuit accusing former Fox News anchor Ed Henry of rape, and later built a second chapter of her career around supporting trauma survivors. She died in September 2026 at her home in Hobe Sound, Florida, at age 36.
If you’ve seen older pages online describing her as an actress from “One Life to Live,” that’s inaccurate — those pages confuse her with someone else. Jennifer Eckhart’s public profile came from her journalism career and her advocacy work, not acting.
Jennifer Eckhart’s Career
Fox Business Network Role
Eckhart joined Fox as a production assistant in 2014, shortly after finishing journalism school, and worked her way up to associate producer at Fox Business Network. She has said her interactions with Ed Henry, then a senior on-air correspondent at the network, began during this period.
Life After Fox
Eckhart left Fox in 2020. Rather than stepping back from public life, she launched a podcast, Reinvented with Jen Eckhart, in August 2021, interviewing guests that included Billy Corgan and Gretchen Carlson. She also founded a nonprofit, The Reinvented Project, which supported trauma survivors with access to therapy and other resources — work that grew directly out of her own experience.
The Ed Henry Lawsuit: Full Timeline
2017–2020 — Background and the Initial Allegation
According to Eckhart’s lawsuit, Henry pursued her starting in 2014, and she alleged that in 2017, he raped her in a hotel room after what began as a work-related meeting for drinks.
July 2020 — The Lawsuit Is Filed
Eckhart, along with journalist Cathy Areu, filed a lawsuit against Fox News and Ed Henry in July 2020. The suit also named other Fox hosts, including Sean Hannity, Tucker Carlson, and Howard Kurtz, in connection with Areu’s separate harassment claims. Fox had fired Henry on July 1, 2020, days after Eckhart’s internal complaint, saying an outside investigation found evidence of misconduct. Henry, through his attorney, denied the rape allegation and said the relationship was consensual.
March 2025 — Fox News Dismissed as a Defendant
A federal judge, Ronnie Abrams, dismissed Fox News from the lawsuit, ruling that the network could not be held liable because there wasn’t sufficient evidence it knew about Henry’s alleged conduct before Eckhart came forward. The claims against Henry personally were allowed to proceed.
June 2025 — The Case Against Ed Henry Settles
Eckhart’s claims against Henry were settled out of court in June 2025, just before the case was set to go to trial. At the time, she described the five-year legal process as “exhaustive” and “retraumatizing,” but said the settlement lifted “a weight” and that she planned to keep supporting fellow trauma survivors through her nonprofit.
Jennifer Eckhart’s Death
Jennifer Eckhart was found dead at her Florida home on Saturday, September 19, 2026, by her mother. The Martin County Sheriff’s Office confirmed her death was ruled a suicide. She was 36.
Her final public post, shared on social media in June, was lighthearted — she joked about gas prices and said she was glad to be back online and working on new projects. Friends, former colleagues, and outlets that had covered her legal case described the news as devastating, particularly coming just months after her long legal battle had finally been resolved.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Fox News settle with Jennifer Eckhart?
No. A judge dismissed Fox News from the lawsuit in March 2025, finding insufficient evidence the network knew about Henry’s alleged conduct beforehand. Eckhart’s separate claims against Ed Henry settled out of court in June 2025.
Is the Ed Henry case still active?
No — it was resolved through a settlement in June 2025, more than a year before Eckhart’s death.
What did Fox News say about the case?
Fox maintained that it acted promptly once it learned of Eckhart’s allegations, firing Henry within days and conducting an independent investigation. The network said discovery confirmed it wasn’t aware of the relationship or the allegations until after Eckhart had left the company.
What happened to Ed Henry after he was fired?
He was terminated by Fox News in July 2020 and later went on to work at Newsmax. He denied Eckhart’s allegations throughout the litigation.
Sources & Further Reading
This article draws on reporting from NPR, TMZ, PEOPLE, E! News, and court filings from the case. For the most current details on the circumstances of her death, TMZ and PEOPLE have published statements from the Martin County Sheriff’s Office.