A former Fox News producer has died by suicide, years after she sued one of the network’s anchors for rape.
Jennifer Eckhart was pronounced dead at her home in Hobe Sound, Florida, on Saturday.
Law enforcement sources told TMZ the case has been ruled a suicide.
Eckhart, who started working at Fox in 2013, filed a lawsuit in June 2020, two weeks after she was fired, alleging her colleague, Fox News anchor Ed Henry, raped her and systematically abused her from 2014 until 2017. She claimed he sexually assaulted her while they were co-workers, and she feared for the future of her career.
Henry denied her claims, saying their relationship was consensual. Henry married Shirley Hung, a CNN senior producer, in June 2010. The couple has two children together. Henry and Hung later divorced, with Henry going on to date Rod Stewart’s ex-wife, Alana Stewart.
The lawsuit alleged that “Mr. Henry, approximately twice Ms. Eckhart’s age, preyed upon, manipulated and groomed Ms. Eckhart starting at the young age of 24, by exerting his abuse of power over her and her career.”
The network fired Henry, the former co-host of America’s Newsroom, after conducting an internal investigation.
The case was settled in 2024 and never went to trial.
Eckhart also sued Fox News for failing to protect her and for not disciplining Henry. A federal court dismissed those claims, finding Fox had not been aware of the alleged conduct.
The 36-year-old later described her time at Fox as having been “paralyzed by fear.”
Eckhart was arrested last year on suspicion of battery in Palm Beach County, Florida, after a video showed her attacking her boyfriend, Thomas Beasley, when he tried to end their relationship.
Since leaving Fox, Eckhart started a podcast called REINVENTED, where she interviewed prominent figures about how they’ve reinvented themselves to achieve success. Henry, meanwhile, now works as chief news anchor at Newsmax.
The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is a hotline for individuals in crisis or for those looking to help someone else. To speak with a trained listener, call 988.
