The Onion's parent company, Global Tetrahedron, has reached a provisional agreement to lease Alex Jones's Infowars for $81,000 a month, pending approval from a Texas judge. The six-month deal, with an option to renew, aims to transform the right-wing misinformation platform into a parody.
The sum represents a fraction of the $1.4bn defamation judgment against Jones for falsely claiming the Sandy Hook school shooting was a hoax. Jones and Infowars' parent company, Free Speech Systems, filed for bankruptcy in 2022.
Ben Collins, CEO of The Onion, announced the deal on social media, stating it was reached with the help of Sandy Hook families. Comedian Tim Heidecker is set to become Infowars' creative director, planning to parody Jones's modus operandi.
However, the deal requires approval from Judge Maya Guerra Gamble, who previously blocked The Onion's bid. She is expected to rule within two weeks. Jones may appeal any decision, continuing to operate Infowars and host his show in the meantime.
Chris Mattei, a lawyer for the Sandy Hook families, said the goal is to prevent Jones from causing further harm, and the Onion deal promises to significantly degrade his power to do so.
