Where do Alex Jones’ damages rank among other high-profile defamation settlements?

Name-calling and bad-mouthing may seem like issues that should just roll off someone’s back, but when rumors get out of hand, they can impact a person’s life. Particularly for those whose jobs rely in part on their reputation, a rampant piece of gossip can cause financial hardship, not to mention psychological damage. Suppose a person decides to pursue legal action to recoup their losses from such a circumstance. In that case, it becomes a defamation lawsuit, during which the person has to prove that either slander or libel has occurred.

Defamation case awards consist of two parts. The first includes actual, or compensatory, damages, which are intended to cover any losses suffered. For example, if a business lost customers due to comments made by another party, the company would be entitled to actual damages relative to the loss of those customers. The second includes punitive damages, which punish the party that made the slanderous or libelous comments.

Though there is no definitive ranking of the largest defamation case awards in U.S. history, Stacker compiled a list of recent high-profile defamation cases and compared the payouts to that of Alex Jones—a right-wing radio host known for spreading conspiracy theories—using a variety of news and other sources.

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