Former Fox News Staffer Dies by Suicide

Former Fox News producer Jennifer Eckhart has died at age 36, years after she became a national figure in a highly publicized sexual misconduct lawsuit involving former Fox anchor Ed Henry.

Eckhart was found dead at her home in Martin County, Florida, on Saturday, Sept. 19, according to an incident report cited by multiple outlets.

A spokesperson for the Martin County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that authorities ruled her death a suicide.

Eckhart spent seven years working at Fox, including as an associate producer for Fox Business, before becoming publicly known in 2020 when she filed a federal lawsuit accusing Henry of sexual assault and workplace harassment.

Henry denied Eckhart’s allegations and maintained that their relationship was consensual.

Fox News fired Henry on July 1, 2020, after the network said it received a complaint on June 25 and commissioned an outside investigation. Fox publicly announced his termination at the time.

The legal battle would continue for nearly five years.

Eckhart alleged in her lawsuit that Henry had sexually harassed and raped her and that Fox News should also be held responsible for his alleged conduct. Henry repeatedly denied the accusations.

The case did not end with a jury deciding whether Eckhart’s allegations against Henry were true.

In March 2025, U.S. District Judge Ronnie Abrams rejected Henry’s effort to have several of Eckhart’s remaining claims thrown out before trial, including claims involving alleged assault, battery, gender-motivated violence and harassment.

At the same time, the judge granted Fox News’ motion for summary judgment, removing the network from the remaining case. A trial involving Henry had initially been scheduled for May 2025.

Eckhart and Henry ultimately reached a settlement, and her remaining claims against him were formally dismissed in June 2025. The terms were not publicly disclosed.

Afterward, Eckhart described the years-long legal fight as exhausting and “re-traumatizing,” while saying the settlement allowed her to focus more heavily on helping other survivors.

Her legal fight with Fox, however, did not immediately end.

Eckhart appealed the ruling in Fox’s favor. On April 24, 2026, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit affirmed the lower court’s judgment for the network. The appellate mandate was issued in June.

Outside the courtroom, Eckhart had increasingly focused on what she described as rebuilding her life and helping others do the same.

She founded The Reinvented Project, a nonprofit organization devoted to helping trauma survivors through animal-assisted healing and partnerships with mental-health organizations.

On the organization’s website, Eckhart credited her own emotional-support animal, Hampton, with helping her understand the role animals can play in trauma recovery.

She also created REINVENTED with Jen Eckhart, an interview podcast centered on people who had rebuilt their lives or careers after major setbacks.

Guests over the years included Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan, Kathy Ireland, Brett Favre, Melissa Rivers, Chris Jericho and Gretchen Carlson. The program had continued releasing episodes into 2026, including a March interview with former Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg.

Eckhart’s final Instagram post came on June 1. In it, she returned to the platform after an absence and told followers that she was working on new projects she was excited to share, according to PEOPLE.

Authorities have not publicly attributed Eckhart’s death to her former lawsuit, her allegations against Henry or any other specific event, and there is no established evidence that those matters caused her death.

Eckhart was born and raised in Miami and graduated from the University of Florida with a degree in telecommunications-news. Before her years at Fox, she also worked with ESPN Radio and a PBS affiliate in Gainesville.

She was 36.

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, call or text 988 or visit the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Help is available 24 hours a day.

Survivors of sexual assault can also contact the RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800-656-HOPE (4673).