Former Fox News Channel and CNN White House correspondent Ed Henry has filed suit against CNN and NPR, as well as a number of journalists employed by each, alleging defamation and invasion of privacy.

The suit followed one filed earlier last week by Henry against Fox News and its CEO, Suzanne Scott, alleging defamation.

Fox News fired Ed Henry in June 2020 after it received a complaint from a former employee involving "willful sexual misconduct in the workplace" in the past. They did not say what that misconduct was. Henry has said the allegations were false and he was "blindsided" by the firing.

Henry conceded that he had a sexual relationship with his accuser, Jennifer Eckhart, also a Fox employee (Fox Business Network), but that it was consensual. Eckhart sued Henry alleging rape.

Also Read: Ex-News Corp. Exec Padden: Fox News Is Damaging America

In the suit, Henry alleges NPR and CNN made false or misleading statements about him.

"NPR stands behind David Folkenflik’s reporting and will vigorously defend it against this meritless claim," said Isabel Lara, NPR executive director of media relations. "Millions of Americans trust NPR to provide accurate information about the world and their communities every day; we take this responsibility very seriously."

A joint sexual harassment/assault lawsuit has been filed against Fox News and current and former employees--the former employee being Ed Henry--by Fox News guest Cathy Areu and former associate producer for Fox Business Network Jennifer Eckhart, both seeking compensatory and punitive damages.  

Fox said Areu's allegations are without merit and Henry's attorney said the accusations against him are fiction. 

"It is widely documented in the public record that Fox News has not only cultivated and fostered sexual harassment and misconduct, but has consistently accepted and rewarded it. Nevertheless, Fox News would have the public believe that it is a different place from the Fox News that was run by former disgraced chairman and CEO Roger Ailes," the suit says. "Unfortunately, it is actually worse."  

The suit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, alleges that former co-anchor of America's Newsroom Ed Henry "groomed, psychologically manipulated and coerced Ms. Eckhart into having a sexual relationship with him, and that, when she would not comply voluntarily, he sexually assaulted her on office property and raped her at a hotel where Fox News frequently lodged its visiting employees, thereby facilitating, whether knowingly or unknowingly, Mr. Henry’s conduct."

Henry was fired from Fox News July 1 over the June 25 Eckhart complaint, at the time saying it was over sexual misconduct alleged by a former employee and investigated by the company. 

Eckhart alleges that Fox knew Henry had engaged in sexual misconduct since 2017 and did not terminate him, only firing him when it realized it "was on the precipice of a public relations nightmare and wanted to get out ahead of this suit and be able to claim that it had done the right thing. It had not." 

“There were not sexual harassment claims against Ed Henry at Fox News prior to Jennifer Eckhart’s claim on June 25, 2020," a Fox News spokesperson said in response.

Areu said Henry sent her inappropriate sexual messages and images, but also alleged sexual harassment by Fox on-air talent Sean Hannity, Tucker Carlson, Howard Kurtz and Gianno Caldwell.  

In a statement, Fox pushed back hard on the allegations against the last four, but essentially signaled Henry was on his own.  

“Based on the findings of a comprehensive independent investigation conducted by an outside law firm, including interviews with numerous eyewitnesses, we have determined that all of Cathy Areu’s claims against Fox News, including its management as well as its hosts Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity & Howard Kurtz and its contributor Gianno Caldwell, are false, patently frivolous and utterly devoid of any merit," said a Fox News spokesperson. "We take all claims of harassment, misconduct and retaliation seriously, promptly investigating them and taking immediate action as needed — in this case, the appropriate action based on our investigation is to defend vigorously against these baseless allegations. Ms. Areu and Jennifer Eckhart can pursue their claims against Ed Henry directly with him, as Fox News already took swift action as soon as it learned of Ms. Eckhart’s claims on June 25 and Mr. Henry is no longer employed by the network.” 

Henry said he will fight the allegations "with every fiber of my being," and tweeted this statement from his attorney, Cathy Foti: "The Me Too movement has helped 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. Echkart sent to Mr. Henry."

Fox News has fired Ed Henry, according to an internal memo from Fox News Media CEO Suzanne Scott and Fox News Media president and executive editor Jay Wallace.

They told employees that they had received a complaint June 25 from a former employee involving "willful sexual misconduct in the workplace" in the past. They did not say what that misconduct was.

They said they suspended Henry immediately and hired an outside law firm to investigate the claim and, based on that investigation, he has now been terminated.

Fox says a rotating contingent of anchors will co-anchor America's Newsroom from New York alongside Sandra Smith for the near term.

"Fox News Media strictly prohibits all forms of sexual harassment, misconduct, and discrimination," Scott and Wallace said.

Henry was named co-anchor of America's Newsroom, Fox News Channel's 9 a.m.-12 p.m. weekday news block, in January 2019. Henry had been FNC's chief national correspondent and anchor of the weekend America's News HQ at 12-1 p.m.

Henry's resume includes Senate correspondent and senior editor at Roll Call and political analysis for C-SPAN and WUSA-TV. But it also included being forced to take some time off Fox's air back in 2016 after reports that the then-chief White House correspondent had had an affair with a Las Vegas hostess. He returned to the air several months later, but as a general assignment reporter.

Fox News has fired Ed Henry, according to an internal memo from Fox News Media CEO Suzanne Scott and Fox News Media president and executive editor Jay Wallace.

They told employees that they had received a complaint June 25 from a former employee involving "willful sexual misconduct in the workplace" in the past. They did not say what that misconduct was.

They said they suspended Henry immediately and hired an outside law firm to investigate the claim and, based on that investigation, he has now been terminated.

Fox says a rotating contingent of anchors will co-anchor America's Newsroom from New York alongside Sandra Smith for the near term.

"Fox News Media strictly prohibits all forms of sexual harassment, misconduct, and discrimination," Scott and Wallace said.

Henry was named co-anchor of America's Newsroom, Fox News Channel's 9 a.m.-12 p.m. weekday news block, in January 2019. Henry had been FNC's chief national correspondent and anchor of the weekend America's News HQ at 12-1 p.m.

Henry's resume includes Senate correspondent and senior editor at Roll Call and political analysis for C-SPAN and WUSA-TV. But it also included being forced to take some time off Fox's air back in 2016 after reports that the then-chief White House correspondent had had an affair with a Las Vegas hostess. He returned to the air several months later, but as a general assignment reporter.

Ed Henry has been named co-anchor of America's Newsroom, Fox News Channel's 9 a.m.-12 p.m. weekday news block, starting Jan. 20, joining Sandra Smith atop that program. 

Henry succeeds Bill Hemmer, who is moving into the 3 p.m. weekday slot vacated by Shep Smith, who left in October.  

Henry has been FNC's chief national correspondent and has been anchoring the weekend America's News HQ at 12-1 p.m. 

Henry's resume includes Senate correspondent and senior editor at Roll Call and political analysis for C-SPAN and WUSA-TV.  

John Roberts has been named chief White House correspondent for Fox News Channel, effective inauguration day (Jan. 20).

Roberts joined FNC in 2011 from CNN's American Morning, and has been FNC's senior national correspondent, based in Atlanta.

"Donald Trump's presidency will be the predominant news story worldwide in the next four years," said Roberts. "I am honored that Fox News has allowed me a front-row seat to history as it all unfolds."

Roberts covered the Trump campaign for the news channel. Chief White House correspondent Ed Henry was pulled off the beat "to work things out" back in May following a tabloid story about his alleged affair with a Las Vegas hostess.

Henry returned to the network in August as chief national correspondent, based in Washington.