Jennifer Eckhart's Shocking Lawsuit Against Ed Henry, Accused Him Of Rape And Calling Her Sex Slave
Jennifer Eckhart's lawsuit against Ed Henry detailed allegations of rape and sexual misconduct.
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Add BollywoodShaadis on GoogleJennifer Eckhart's legal battle with former Fox News anchor Ed Henry drew widespread attention after she accused him of sexual harassment, coercion, and 'violent rape' in a federal lawsuit filed in 2020. Following the former Fox Business producer's death at age 36 on September 19, 2026, her years-long legal fight has drawn renewed attention.
Jennifer was reportedly found unresponsive at her home in Hobe Sound, Florida. Authorities have ruled her death a suicide. She and Henry reached a private settlement shortly before their civil trial was scheduled to begin in June 2025. Henry has continued to deny her allegations, arguing that their relationship had been consensual.
Jennifer Eckhart accused Ed Henry of rape and sexual coercion in her 2020 lawsuit
Eckhart filed a federal lawsuit in Manhattan against Henry and Fox News back in July 2020. She alleged that Henry used his position and influence at the network as its anchor to manipulate and groom her while she was a young employee. Among the various claims in the complaint, one that especially grabbed attention was an alleged 2017 incident, when Henry had allegedly assaulted her in a Manhattan hotel room.
In court filings reported by various outlets, Eckhart stated that Henry had restrained her with metal handcuffs and "violently raped" her. The former Fox Business associate had also alleged years of sexual harassment and coercion, including promises Henry allegedly made about her career.
Eckhart provided graphic evidence and text messages in her lawsuit, which alleged that Henry started manipulating and grooming her when she was only 24. Eckhart claimed that Henry pressured her into engaging in sexual activity and threatened professional retaliation if she refused. Her complaint included explicit messages and allegations that he referred to her as his "sex slave" and "little wh-re".
Henry, however, strongly denied Eckhart’s claims, maintaining that their sexual relationship had been consensual all along. His legal team pointed to text exchanges and photographs as part of its defense.
After an investigation into allegations of workplace sexual misconduct, Fox News fired Henry on July 1, 2020. The network said it took action after learning of Eckhart’s claims. Henry later joined Newsmax, and his wife of 10 years, Shirley Hung, divorced him following the sexual misconduct allegations.
Ed Henry and Jennifer Eckhart settled their case a day before trial
Eckhart's case against Henry was scheduled to go before a federal jury in June 2025. However, the two sides reached a private settlement just one day before the trial was due to begin. The settlement resolved Eckhart's claims against Henry, and the case was dismissed with "prejudice", meaning those claims could not be brought again. The terms of the agreement were never publicly disclosed.
Following the settlement, Henry’s attorney said that the matter had been resolved to the parties' mutual satisfaction and that they were moving on with their lives. Meanwhile, Eckhart described the legal battle as an "exhaustive, re-traumatizing, five-year legal battle," adding that the settlement lifted a weight from her shoulders and renewed her passion for supporting trauma survivors.
Her lawsuit against Fox News followed a separate legal path. A federal judge dismissed the network from the case in March 2025, finding that Fox did not have actual prior notice of Henry’s alleged misconduct toward Eckhart until she reported it through her attorney in 2020. Eckhart challenged that decision, arguing that the fight was about broader workplace accountability.
After leaving television news, Eckhart focused on advocacy. She launched REINVENTED with Jen Eckhart, a podcast intended to give people a platform to discuss trauma, and founded The Reinvented Project, which supports survivors through animal-assisted therapy.
Reflecting on her decision, Eckhart shared that though the legal process took a toll on her, she wanted to continue supporting trauma survivors. She said she didn't need courtroom validation to become stronger as she "reinvented" herself through the "five years of fire." In a statement to Courthouse News, she shared:
"I turned pain into purpose — and now that purpose has a name, a mission, and a movement. Survivors don’t need courtroom validation to become stronger than what tried to break them; they just need the courage to begin again. I didn’t come this far to stop short of systemic change. With this chapter now closed, my pursuit of truth continues — on the mic, on the record, and in the appellate courts against Fox News."
In her final Instagram post, Jessica Eckhart spoke about being "glad to be sharing this weird little corner of the Internet again" and announced that she was working on "some exciting stuff."
What are your thoughts on Jessica Eckhart's explosive lawsuit against Ed Henry and the way it ended?
Image courtesy: Jessica Eckhart/Instagram, social media
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