The former host of Fox News Channel, Ed Henry, is accused of rape and retaliation. Similarly, a lawsuit is filed in federal court against Henry of rape and alleged that he retaliated against two women.
Jennifer Eckhart, a former Fox Business Network producer, and online personality, filed the lawsuit against Henry.
Jennifer Eckhart and Ed Henry (©: GlamourBiz)
The lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court Southern District of New York, bestows the reports of Eckhart's allegations. Henry was previously suspended from Fox News Channel on 25 June 2020 and later abruptly fired on 1 July 2020. The network cited the complaint of harassment against the former host from years back.
On the other hand, Henry's attorney, Catherine Foti, mentioned that Jennifer Eckhart had a consensual relationship with Ed Henry. She stated:
"The Me Too movement has helped to bring to light a number of injustices in our society, and everyone that has suffered deserves to be heard. This is not one of those cases."
"The evidence, in this case, will demonstrate that Ms. Eckhart initiated and completely encouraged a consensual relationship. Ed Henry looks forward to presenting actual facts and evidence, which will contradict the fictional accounts contained in the complaint. That evidence includes graphic photos and other aggressively suggestive communications that Ms. Eckhart sent to Mr. Henry."
Similarly, Henry denied the accusations against him and mentioned that he would fight back. On Twitter, he tweeted, 'I will fight with every fiber of my being.'
Similarly, the lawsuit alleges Cathy Areu was subjected to sexual misconduct by three other Fox News hosts, including Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity, Howard Kurtz. However, the Fox News host rejected the accusations describing the allegation as 'comprehensive independent investigation,' which included interviews with 'multiple eyewitnesses' and mentioned Areu's allegations as "false, patently frivolous and utterly devoid of any merit."
Facts Behind The Accusations Against Ed Henry
As mentioned in the lawsuit filed by Jennifer Eckhart, she and Ed Henry started flirting in 2014, but she was not 'romantically interested' with Henry. However, Henry persisted, and she agreed to have drinks with him once. After drinks, Henry invited her to his room, after which he ripped off her clothes, and she ultimately had sexual intercourse with him.
The lawsuit further mentions that she had sex with Henry with a fear that her career would be over if she refused.
In the lawsuit, Jennifer Eckhart stated that Henry's continuous persuasion and he forced her to perform oral sex on him at Fox News's New York City headquarters ' guest office.
Similarly, in the lawsuit, Eckhart has mentioned that Henry asked her to be his sex slave and also called her a little wh**e in messages. The messages sent by the former Fox News host are included in the lawsuit.
Ed Henry's messages to Jennifer Eckhart (©: heavy.com)
The initial incident of having drinks and going on to the hotel room once again happened in 2017 before Henry was promoted to anchor. At the time, he applied metal handcuffs against Eckhart and started taking naked photographs. The lawsuit says that Henry forcefully raped her afterward.
She tried to avoid all communications with Ed Henry then. However, he 'continued to harass and retaliate against her for rejecting his continued advances,' the lawsuit mentions.
Who Is Jennifer Eckhart?
Jennifer Eckhart, as per her official website, is a female powerhouse in the media industry. She also works as a mediator and bridges the gap between producing and being an on-air personality.
Eckhart joined the Fox News Channel in January 2013 and frequently appeared on the Fox News Radio & Fox Nation. Besides, she produced the 'Countdown to the Closing Bell,' one of America's top-rated business shows.
Previously, she worked as a correspondent at ESPN Radio. During her tenure, she hosted the 2011 ESPN College Football Awards live from the red carpet in Orlando, Florida. Similarly, she was an Entertainment Anchor for WUFT-TV, a PBS affiliate in Gainesville, Florida.
Eckhart was born and raised in Miami, Florida, and she is a graduate of the University of Florida's top-ranked College of Journalism & Communications. She has a degree of Bachelor of Science degree in Telecommunications-News.