The Onion has launched its takeover of Infowars, with comedian Tim Heidecker replacing Alex Jones as the lead host in the first broadcast under the new ownership late Friday night. The takeover was carried out with Sandy Hook families and gun safety groups. [1]
Heidecker opened the show with a line that played on Jones' image, saying, "I am wearing his (Alex Jones) skin," before adding, "I’ve been wearing his skin now for about two weeks. It is tough skin. It is Texas skin. It’s leathery." [1]
Infowars began in 1999 and later became the target of a long-running legal fight after courts ruled Jones and the site owed the Sandy Hook families $1.3 billion in damages. Infowars filed for bankruptcy in 2022. [1]
The Onion put in a bid for Infowars in 2024, and the company announced a new plan this April. The first broadcast under Onion ownership follows that bid and the bankruptcy process that opened the door to the sale. [1]
The new ownership puts a satirical outlet in control of a site once tied to Jones' conspiracy broadcasts. The first full broadcast under the takeover aired late Friday night, with Heidecker in the top role. [1]
