Jennifer Eckhart, former Fox Business producer and podcast host, found dead in Florida at 36

Jennifer Eckhart, who worked as an associate producer at Fox Business and later hosted a podcast, has died at 36. The New York Post, citing authorities, reported that she was found dead on Friday, September 18, 2026, at her residence in Martin County, Florida. The sheriff's office indicated her death appeared to be a suicide. Her mother discovered Eckhart dead and then contacted sheriff's officials. Eckhart was located in the bathroom of the master bedroom, holding a pocketknife, according to the information provided. Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek discussed the death during a news conference on Monday, September 21. In highlights from that briefing, the sheriff said her mother found her in a bathtub with a large cut to her neck. The Martin County Sheriff's Office and the Medical Examiner's Office ruled the death a suicide. Over the previous year and a half, Eckhart had been subject to the Baker Act six times across Martin County and Palm Beach County Sheriff's offices, according to the report. She had received treatment at a mental health facility and had been discharged one week before her death. It appeared she had stopped taking medication that had been prescribed while she was in the facility. Neighbors said she had frantic conversations outside the home and while on the phone. "I need to kill myself. It's the last thing to do," she wrote, according to the account. She had bought a gun but could not obtain it because of a three-day waiting period, so she purchased a knife. That knife was later found in the bathtub. There were also lacerations on her arms. Eckhart was the host of the REINVENTED podcast. On the show, she interviewed public figures, celebrities, CEOs, athletes, business leaders, and disruptors whom she described as among the world's brightest and most thought-provoking, noting that they shared a willingness to discard The Rule Book. Guests included Sean Paul; Billy Corgan of The Smashing Pumpkins; former NFL player Brett Farve; supermodel and business executive Kathy Ireland; television host Melissa Rivers; actress Patricia Heaton; and others. The podcast launched in 2021. Its final new episode, released in March, featured Dave Aronberg, a former Palm Beach prosecutor. In 2020, Eckhart accused journalist Ed Henry of sexual assault. Fox News terminated Henry that year after an investigation into a complaint alleging sexual misconduct. Eckhart also encountered legal trouble in Palm Beach County in 2025. An arrest affidavit states that she was taken into custody in July 2025 on suspicion of battery following an alleged physical altercation with her boyfriend, Thomas Beasley, after he tried to end their relationship. The affidavit, according to the New York Post, said video of the incident showed Eckhart yelling at Beasley, hitting him, and tearing his shirt while demanding that he delete a recording of the encounter. She was released on her own recognizance without having to post bail.