The Onion bids to run Infowars as parody site in Sandy Hook debt case

The Onion has submitted a licensing proposal to operate Infowars as a parody platform, as a Texas court moves to liquidate the conspiracy theory outlet to satisfy more than $1.4 billion in defamation judgments tied to the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting.

A Texas judge could approve the deal by April 30, giving the satirical outlet six-month control of Infowars' intellectual property and social media accounts, with proceeds going to families of Sandy Hook victims.

Ben Collins, CEO of The Onion, said the outlet plans to expand well beyond the Infowars brand. "We'll build this into a bigger comedy network," Collins said in a phone interview Monday, according to ABC7. He described the project as targeting a familiar type of online media figure, saying the outlet aims to "create a bunch of characters and worlds around those kinds of things" — a reference to commentators peddling health misinformation and conspiracy theories.

The Onion has brought on Tim Heidecker, the comedy performer known for the duo Tim and Eric, to oversee parody operations at the Austin site.

Under the proposed agreement, The Onion would pay $81,000 per month to cover rent, utilities and operating costs at the Infowars facility. A court-appointed receiver overseeing the liquidation would manage and distribute proceeds to Sandy Hook families.

The liquidation stems from more than $1.4 billion in defamation judgments against Jones, who repeatedly claimed the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting was a hoax staged by crisis actors. The attack in Newtown, Connecticut, killed 20 first graders and six educators. Juries and a judge awarded damages to families and an FBI agent who sued for defamation and emotional distress. In a separate Texas case, Sandy Hook parents were awarded nearly $50 million.

Jones, who filed for bankruptcy in late 2022, said Monday he has no plans to leave the airwaves. "I'm going to continue the exact same show. It'll just be called the 'Alex Jones Show,'" Jones said on his program. He said he would broadcast through his personal X account and new websites, funded by merchandise sales.

The Onion was previously named the winning bidder at a November 2024 bankruptcy auction, but a judge voided the results. Liquidation proceedings later moved to Texas state court, where Judge Maya Guerra Gamble is overseeing the case.

If Judge Maya Guerra Gamble approves the licensing deal, The Onion's agreement would run six months with an option to renew for another six months.