In October 2022, far-right radio host Alex Jones was ordered to pay about $1.5 billion in punitive damages to the victims of the Sandy Hook shooting due to certain false statements he made.
Jones, known for his conspiracy theories, is at risk of losing his fake news website, InfoWars. Before his infamous divorce from Kelly Rebecca Nichols, who is an animal rights activist that used her media and public relations expertise to promote his website.
Nichols was born on July 2, 1968, in Travis County, Texas, and they were married in 2007, having three children together.
However, in 2015, Nichols filed for divorce and sought sole or joint custody of their children, citing concerns about Jones’ behavior. She described him as mentally ill and lacking a moral compass.
Nichols was eventually awarded the right to decide where their children live, while Jones maintained visitation rights. Jones went on to marry Erika Jones in 2017.
Jones was recently ordered to pay an additional $45 million in punitive damages to the parents of a first-grader killed in the Sandy Hook massacre, bringing the total damages owed to $49.3 million.
This ruling was a result of Jones falsely claiming the shooting was a hoax orchestrated by the government. The parents were seeking $150 million in damages initially.
Following this verdict, a Connecticut court ordered Jones to owe the Sandy Hook victims over $1.5 billion in total damages. Jones may also have to liquidate his assets to pay off the victims’ families, potentially leading to the end of InfoWars.
A documentary titled “The Truth vs. Alex Jones” chronicles the legal battles surrounding the defamation lawsuits brought by the victims’ families against Jones.
Viewers can watch the documentary on HBO’s streaming service Max with an active subscription.
