Lauren Sellman, Arts & Entertainment Editor
The Truth vs. Alex Jones promotional poster. Photo//Rotten Tomatoes
The Truth vs. Alex Jones is a two-hour documentary highlighting the defamation case of conspiracy theorist Alex Jones claiming the 2012 Sandy Hook shooting was a hoax. Just hours after the shooter killed 20 students and six teachers on Dec. 14, 2012, Jones wildly claimed on his platform, Infowars, that the entire tragedy was staged.
Alex Jones is a right-wing conspiracy theorist who hosts the radio show, The Alex Jones Show and is known for his fake news site InfoWars. As someone who has gained a large following in recent years, Jones uses his online presence as a platform to spread misinformation.
According to Jones, Sandy Hook, as well as other shootings in the U.S. are planned as a way for the government to make a point about gun rights.
By repeatedly standing by his opinion, Jones attracts viewers to his InfoWars site, which increases audience activity and product sales. This allows Jones to convince more people of this conspiracy by having access to a wider audience through multiple online platforms.
This accusation quickly became dangerous, as parents of Sandy Hook students were called actors and liars, receiving death threats and being harassed online and in public. Jackie Barden, the mother of one of the victims, even recalls receiving an anonymous letter from someone saying they were going to dig up her son’s grave to prove it was empty.
Parents are suing Jones for $150M for defamation and intentionally causing emotional unrest. The lawyer representing the parents, Mark Bankston, says that the $150M figure is representative of a single dollar for each American who has fallen victim to Jones’ lies.
Jones behaves disrespectfully and insensitively in court, arriving with the message, “Save the 1st.” taped over his mouth. He claims the string of lawsuits results from a wider left agenda to take away his rights.
The documentary was released on March 26 and is available to watch on HBO Max and Hulu Max.
Watch the official trailer here.