Former Fox News producer Jennifer Eckhart was arrested and accused of attacking her boyfriend for ending their relationship, according to a report.
Eckhart, who recently settled a sexual assault lawsuit against former Fox News anchor Ed Henry, was booked by Florida’s Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday on suspicion of battery.
The podcaster “struck, screamed, and became combative” toward Thomas Beasley after he tried to end the relationship, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by the Daily Mail.
According to the Mail, the affidavit said Beasley caught the alleged altercation on film, which showed Eckhart “yelling, striking Beasley, grabbing his shirt and ripping it, and demanding he delete the video.”
The 34-year-old was released on recognizance without having to post bail.
The Independent has contacted Eckhart for comment.
Eckhart is the host of the REINVITED podcast and runs a non-profit called The Reinvited Project, which aims to support trauma survivors through animal-assisted therapy.
On June 15, Eckhart settled her 2020 lawsuit against Henry, in which she accused him of rape. Henry, who was fired from Fox News in July 2020, denied the allegations. He now works for right-wing network NewsMax.
In the lawsuit, Eckhart alleged that the former Fox News anchor “groomed, psychologically manipulated and coerced” her into a sexual relationship while referring to her as his personal “sex slave.”
Eventually, after she “would not comply voluntarily” with his sexual demands, she claimed he violently raped her in 2017.
Fox News was initially a defendant in Eckhart’s lawsuit, as she claimed the network downplayed the severity of the risk Henry posed to female employees and retaliated against her by firing her in June 2020 after she complained about a hostile work environment. Prior to the settlement, Fox News was dismissed as a defendant from the case.
In her ruling, U.S. District Judge Ronnie Abrams said there was “no direct evidence that Fox News was aware of Henry’s alleged harassment of Eckhart before it occurred.” Additionally, Abrams agreed with Fox’s legal team that “no reasonable jury” would find the network liable for preventing “Henry from harming Eckhart.”
“This matter has been resolved to the mutual satisfaction of the parties, and the parties are moving on with their lives,” Henry’s attorney said in a statement when the settlement was reached.
Additional reporting by Justin Baragona
