Woman Who Accused Ed Henry of Rape Settles Lawsuit Against Former Fox News Reporter: 'I Turned Pain into Purpose'
Court documents filed in the Southern District of New York on Sunday, June 15, obtained by PEOPLE, indicate that she settled her 2020 lawsuit against Ed Henry, in which she had accused the former Fox News reporter of rape.
Eckhart, who formerly worked for Fox, claimed in the suit that Henry groomed her beginning when she was 24 before allegedly raping her when she worked at the network. She says a civil trial was finally approaching before the settlement was agreed.
Related: Ed Henry Accused of Rape, Trying to Make Fox News Staffer His 'Sex Slave' in Lawsuit
'This has been an exhaustive, retraumatizing, five-year legal battle with incredible challenges that at times I almost felt was unable to bear,' Eckhart exclusively tells PEOPLE. '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.'
In her lawsuit, which was obtained by PEOPLE and named both Henry and Fox News as defendants, Eckhart alleged that she was 'violently raped while helpless and restrained in metal handcuffs.'
Henry was fired by Fox News in July 2020, weeks before the lawsuit was filed. In an answer to the complaint, Henry denied raping Eckhart. He now works for Newsmax.
In March, a federal judge dismissed Fox News as a defendant, though Eckhart says she is planning on appealing the dismissal.
Following the settlement, Henry's attorney Gary Rosen provided 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,' Rosen said.
Though the lawsuit has now been settled, Eckhart, says her work is not done, noting that she runs a non-profit, The Reinvented Project, which helps trauma survivors through animal-assisted therapy.
Eckhart worked for Fox for nearly a decade, working as a reporter and producer. She left the company following her lawsuit, which she said was done to bring accountability.
She began hosting the podcast, REINVENTED with Jen Eckhart, to 'give a voice to the voiceless,' and has previously featured interviews with high-profile guests like Billy Corgan, who spoke about 'generational trauma.'
Related: Smashing Pumpkins' Billy Corgan Discusses His Childhood Trauma with His Kids: I 'Dole It Out Where Appropriate'
'I turned pain into purpose,' Eckhart says. 'I think the overarching theme, as far as this case not going to trial, is that survivors do not require validation from a courtroom to emerge stronger than what tries to break them.'
Eckhart is now seeking systemic change as her legal battle turns to her legal appeal of the network's dismissal from the lawsuit.
For Eckhart, systemic change means more safeguards for media staffers who lodge 'good-faith complaints.'
The lawsuit claimed that Fox News was aware that Henry had allegedly 'engaged in sexual misconduct' dating back to 2017, three years before he was ultimately fired on the precipice of Eckhart's eventual civil complaint. The judge overseeing the case ultimately ruled to dismiss Fox News as a defendant.
'This is a turning point in corporate America where we are putting standards on notice,' Eckhart says. 'Whether it be sweeping complaints under the rug or not taking better precautions and having better safety measures in place to protect their employees from situations such as the one that I suffered.'
Eckhart says she is fighting to win her appeal and is intent on obtaining accountability.
'I'm not here for headlines,' she says. 'I'm here for justice.'
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to .
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