Authorities said Eckhart was found at her Florida home Sept. 19 after later building a career in podcasting and survivor advocacy.
HOBE SOUND, Fla. — Jennifer Eckhart, a former Fox Business associate producer who later became a podcast host and nonprofit founder, died by suicide at her home in Martin County, authorities said. She was 36.
Eckhart was found dead Sept. 19 at her Hobe Sound residence, according to a Martin County Sheriff’s Office death investigation report cited by multiple news organizations. The sheriff’s office confirmed that her death had been ruled a suicide. Authorities had not publicly released additional findings explaining the circumstances leading to her death, and no motive should be inferred from her professional or legal history.
Eckhart spent about seven years working for Fox, including as an associate producer for Fox Business. She also appeared in on-air roles during her time with the company. After leaving the network, she developed independent projects that included the interview podcast “REINVENTED with Jen Eckhart” and a nonprofit focused on helping people who had experienced trauma.
She became nationally known in 2020 after filing a federal civil lawsuit against former Fox News anchor Ed Henry and Fox News. Eckhart accused Henry of rape and other sexual misconduct while they worked at the network. Henry denied the allegations and maintained that their relationship had been consensual. The allegations against him were not decided by a jury because the remaining claims were later settled before trial.
Fox News fired Henry in July 2020 after receiving a complaint concerning alleged sexual misconduct and conducting an investigation through an outside law firm. The network said at the time that it acted after learning of Eckhart’s allegations and maintained that it had not previously received sexual harassment complaints from her concerning Henry. Eckhart’s lawsuit also sought to hold Fox News legally responsible for Henry’s alleged conduct.
A federal judge granted summary judgment to Fox News on Eckhart’s claims against the network in March 2025 while allowing claims against Henry to remain headed toward trial. Court records show that Eckhart and Henry reached a settlement in June 2025 and stipulated to dismiss the remaining claims against him. The financial terms were not made public, and the settlement did not amount to a judicial finding on the disputed allegations.
Eckhart continued challenging the judgment in favor of Fox News after settling with Henry. In April 2026, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit affirmed the lower court’s ruling. The appeals court concluded that the evidence did not establish that Fox News knew about Henry’s alleged conduct toward Eckhart before she reported it. The ruling addressed the network’s potential legal liability and did not decide the truth of the allegations Eckhart had made against Henry.
Following the litigation, Eckhart increasingly focused on podcasting and advocacy. Her “REINVENTED” interview series featured guests discussing personal and professional setbacks, recovery and major changes in their lives. She also founded The Reinvented Project, a nonprofit that describes its mission as supporting trauma survivors through animal-assisted programs and collaborations centered on human-animal connections.
Eckhart said publicly after the settlement that the yearslong legal process had been difficult and that she wanted to use her experience to support other trauma survivors. Her podcast continued featuring guests from entertainment, journalism, business and public life. The most recent episode identified in reporting before her death had been released earlier in 2026.
The Martin County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed the manner of Eckhart’s death as suicide. Authorities had not announced further findings from the death investigation as of Monday. Her death remains separate from the unresolved factual allegations in her former civil case, which ended without a trial against Henry and with the courts entering judgment for Fox News on the claims against the network.
Author note: Last updated September 21, 2026.