The satirical news outlet has found a new way to take control of the controversial website. The Onion reached a deal to lease Alex Jones’ Infowars platform, turning the conspiracy hub into a joke machine. The agreement requires a monthly payment of $81,000 to a court-appointed manager.
This move comes after a long legal fight. The Onion wants to replace harmful misinformation with comedy. The plan has support from the Sandy Hook families who won lawsuits against Jones for his false claims about the 2012 school shooting.
The Licensing Agreement and Court Process
The deal is not a full purchase but a six-month lease. Global Tetrahedron, the Chicago-based company that owns The Onion, will pay the fee to use Infowars.com and its brand name. The agreement includes an option to renew for another six months.
A Texas judge must still approve the plan. Judge Maya Guerra Gamble will decide on the proposal in the coming weeks. Alex Jones can appeal the decision if the judge agrees to the deal.
A court-appointed receiver named Gregory Milligan currently manages Infowars. He filed the papers asking for the judge’s approval. The receiver said this lease will bring in money to cover costs while keeping the brand’s value safe during the legal process.
The Onion will get full control over the website’s content. The receiver will keep ownership of the brand. The Onion CEO Ben Collins shared the news on social media.
“With the help of the Sandy Hook families, The Onion has reached a long-awaited deal to take over InfoWars,” Collins posted on Bluesky.
Comedian Tim Heidecker Joins as Creative Director
The Onion brought in a famous comedian to lead the project. Tim Heidecker, known for the Adult Swim series “Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!”, will serve as the creative director of the new Infowars.
Heidecker plans to turn the toxic platform into a space for experimental comedy. He said the idea felt like a perfect joke. Taking a negative force like Infowars and changing it into something creative seemed like the right move.
The Onion released a short video showing Heidecker in his new role. The company also posted a satirical letter from a fake CEO named Bryce P. Tetraeder. The letter promised to welcome ideas from everyone, even “the very stupidest among us.”
Background on the Sandy Hook Lawsuits
This deal connects to a sad chapter in American history. Alex Jones falsely claimed for years that the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting was a hoax. Twenty children and six adults died in the 2012 attack. Jones said the parents were actors.
The families sued Jones for defamation. Courts in Texas and Connecticut found him guilty. Juries ordered Jones to pay more than $1.4 billion in damages to the families. Jones filed for bankruptcy after these rulings.
The legal fight led to the sale of Infowars assets. The Onion tried to buy the site in 2024 with a $1.75 million bid. A bankruptcy judge stopped that sale. The judge said the auction process was not clear enough.
How the New Plan Works
The licensing deal works differently from the failed purchase attempt. The Onion will pay $81,000 each month to use the website. The six-month total comes to $486,000.
The Sandy Hook families support this new plan. Their lawyer Chris Mattei said the goal is to stop Jones from causing more harm. Taking away his platform reduces his power to spread lies.
The Onion also plans to sell merchandise through the site. The company will share those profits with the Sandy Hook families. This gives the families another way to collect money from the legal judgments.
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What Happens to Alex Jones Now
Alex Jones still runs Infowars for now. He continues to host “The Alex Jones Show” on the platform. The licensing deal has not taken effect yet because the judge has not approved it.
Jones can fight the agreement in court. He can appeal any ruling that approves the lease. The legal battle may continue for months. The Onion already started preparing content. The company filmed satirical videos waiting for the court’s decision.
One video features a fake news anchor named Jim Haggerty. The character leaves mainstream media to become a conspiracy spreader. Actor Brad Holbrook plays the role.
The Onion CEO Ben Collins explained why this matters. He said you cannot just shut down something like Infowars and pretend it never existed. True accountability requires replacing bad content with something better.
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