The Onion to Relaunch Infowars, Aiming to Pay Sandy Hook Families Amid Ongoing Legal Dispute

The Onion will launch a new Infowars website and social-media channels on July 2. The platform will feature original programming, including a parody of Alex Jones’s former show, and will channel more than $100,000 to Sandy Hook families, funded by sales of rainbow-colored Infowars merchandise.

The Onion says it won’t wait for the courts, will launch Infowars to pay Sandy Hook families

2022 juries awarded over $1.4 billion in defamation damages to Sandy Hook families after Alex Jones falsely claimed the 2012 shooting was a hoax. Jones’s company, Free Speech Systems, entered bankruptcy. In 2024 a federal judge ordered the sale of Jones’s assets—including the Infowars brand, offices, property, and website—to satisfy judgments. The Onion’s winning bid was later vacated citing transparency concerns and a competing bid tied to Jones’s supplement business. A licensing deal with Texas-appointed asset manager was blocked by an appeals court in April.

The Onion says it won’t wait for the courts, will launch Infowars to pay Sandy Hook families

• 2022: Juries award >$1.4 billion to Sandy Hook families.

The Onion says it won’t wait for the courts, will launch Infowars to pay Sandy Hook families

• Early 2024: Federal judge orders sale of Jones’s assets.

The Onion says it won’t wait for the courts, will launch Infowars to pay Sandy Hook families

• Mid-2024: The Onion’s winning bid announced, then vacated.

The Onion says it won’t wait for the courts, will launch Infowars to pay Sandy Hook families

• April 2024: Texas-appointed licensing deal blocked by appeals court.

The Onion says it won’t wait for the courts, will launch Infowars to pay Sandy Hook families

• July 2 2024: The Onion plans to launch its Infowars platform.

The Onion says it won’t wait for the courts, will launch Infowars to pay Sandy Hook families

The defamation judgments total more than $1.4 billion. The Onion’s first disbursement to the families exceeds $100,000 and is funded by sales of rainbow-colored Infowars merchandise. The monetary terms of the vacated asset sale have not been disclosed.

The Onion says it won’t wait for the courts, will launch Infowars to pay Sandy Hook families

The payment provides the first concrete compensation for families harassed after Jones’s false claims. Moving Infowars to a satirical publisher also tests court enforcement of asset sales against a high-profile disinformation outlet, potentially shaping future remedies for defamation victims.

The Onion says it won’t wait for the courts, will launch Infowars to pay Sandy Hook families

Ben Collins, CEO of The Onion, said the company is proceeding with the launch to deliver payments, blaming delays on Jones’s attempts to block the transfer. Jones’s legal team continues to contest the sale, arguing it infringes his property rights.

The Onion says it won’t wait for the courts, will launch Infowars to pay Sandy Hook families

Sources differ on the current status of the Infowars assets: one report notes the sale was vacated, while another emphasizes the blocked licensing arrangement. No court has yet issued a final ruling confirming ownership, leaving the timeline for further family payments uncertain.

The Onion says it won’t wait for the courts, will launch Infowars to pay Sandy Hook families

> “Alex is holding Infowars.com hostage. He’s trying to intentionally degrade the assets so these families can never sell them, and the courts have largely obliged. We’re tired of waiting around.” — Ben Collins, CEO, The Onion

The Onion says it won’t wait for the courts, will launch Infowars to pay Sandy Hook families

Families’ lawyers have petitioned the Texas Supreme Court to lift the appellate hold on the licensing deal. Approval would allow The Onion to proceed with the July 2 launch and additional disbursements. Ongoing appeals could still delay the transfer of the Infowars brand and further compensation.

The Onion says it won’t wait for the courts, will launch Infowars to pay Sandy Hook families