Former Fox Business associate producer Jennifer Eckhart was found dead inside her Florida residence on Sept. 19, 2026, in what authorities have ruled a suicide. She was 36 years old.
Her body was discovered at her home, according to a Martin County Sheriff's Office incident report obtained by People magazine. Sheriff spokesperson Christine Christofek confirmed the ruling in a statement on Sept. 21, stating, "This death has been ruled a suicide."
Speaking at a press conference on Sept. 21, Sheriff John Budensiek disclosed that Eckhart had been detained six times over the past 18 months under Florida's Baker Act. The state law permits individuals experiencing a severe mental health crisis to be temporarily held for up to 72 hours for evaluation.
Budensiek stated that Eckhart had recently spent seven weeks in a mental health facility seeking treatment. "She spent a seven-week period in a mental health facility trying to get help for all her suicidal ideology," he said, "and had been out of that facility for one week."
According to Budensiek, an investigation revealed that Eckhart had stopped taking her medication and had written in her personal ledger: "I need to kill myself. It’s the last thing to do."
The Martin County Sheriff's Office, based on Florida's Treasure Coast, had not responded to requests for comment from E! News at the time of publication.
Lawsuit Against Former Fox News Anchor
Eckhart spent seven years working at Fox Business, a cable news network owned by Fox Corporation, before departing in 2020. During her time at the network, she worked as an associate producer.
In July 2020, Eckhart filed a legal complaint against Ed Henry, the former co-anchor of Fox News program America's Newsroom. In the court filing obtained by People, she alleged that Henry had "violently raped" her and left her "injured, bruised and battered with bloody wrists."
The lawsuit also alleged that Henry "took photos" of Eckhart "for purposes of blackmail that could destroy her career" and "threatened punishment and retaliation if [Eckhart] didn’t comply with his sexual demands," according to court documents.
Weeks before Eckhart filed her complaint, Fox News initiated an independent third-party investigation after receiving a complaint from an unnamed employee alleging "willful sexual misconduct in the workplace years ago," according to an internal email obtained by CNN. The network stated in the email: "Based on investigative findings, Ed has been terminated."
Henry denied the misconduct referenced in the email. His attorney Catherine Foti told CNN at the time that the news personality was "confident that he will be vindicated after a full hearing in an appropriate forum."
Settlement and Legal Battle Resolution
Eckhart's legal action against Henry was settled in June 2025, one day before the case was scheduled to go to trial.
"This has been an exhaustive, retraumatizing, five-year legal battle with incredible challenges that at times I almost felt was unable to bear," Eckhart told People in June 2025. "With this settlement in place, a weight has now been lifted from my shoulders and my passion to support fellow trauma survivors has been renewed."
Following the settlement, Henry's attorney Gary Rosen said in a statement to People: "This matter has been resolved to the mutual satisfaction of the parties, and the parties are moving on with their lives."
Post-Broadcast Career and Advocacy Work
After leaving broadcasting, Eckhart launched the Reinvented podcast, which aired its final episode in March. She also established The Reinvented Project, a nonprofit organization designed to assist trauma survivors.
The organization connects survivors with animal-assisted healing. In a video post about the initiative, Eckhart wrote: "This moment is living proof that grief and joy can share the same dance floor, and that joy often arrives on four paws, with soft fur, quiet wisdom, and an unconditional love that finds you exactly when you need it most."
Eckhart frequently shared updates about her personal life and events in Florida with social media followers, including behind-the-scenes content preparing for public appearances.
Social Media Posts and Support Resources
In April 2026, Eckhart shared a family photograph during Easter, captioning it: "God’s goodness looks a lot like this to me."
Reflecting on her life in a March carousel post, she wrote: "Life lately in all of its beautiful forms. A little bit of everything, all at once." In November 2025, she captioned a photograph: "Sometimes the view looks different when you’re standing on higher ground. The higher you rise, the quieter it gets. Not everyone’s meant to join you there, but the view was always waiting for you."
Individuals in need of mental health support or experiencing suicidal thoughts can reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988. Resources are also available by calling 800-273-8255, texting HOME to 741741, or visiting SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources.
