The right-wing conspiracy theorist who called the Sandy Hook school shooting a hoax and alleged that Hillary Clinton and her campaign manager had connections to a child sex ring is nothing more than a "performance artist," his lawyer says.

Alex Jones (via Twitter)

Alex Jones, the Austin-based radio host behind Infowars.com, is locked in a custody battle with his former wife, whom he divorced in 2015 and currently pays $43,000 a month.

And while his attorney says that the on-air persona is an act, Kelly Jones alleges that her ex-husband is subjecting their three children to an incendiary upbringing, the Austin-American-Statesman reports. She is seeking full custody of their 14-year-old son and 12- and 9-year-old daughters.

"He's not a stable person," she said at a pretrial hearing last week. "He says he wants to break Alec Baldwin's neck. He wants J-Lo to get raped."

She noted that he broadcasts his show from home and referenced recent comments he made about Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff, in which Jones went on a profanity-laden anti-gay tirade and said he wanted to "beat" the congressman.

"I'm concerned that he is engaged in felonious behavior, threatening a member of Congress," she said.

But Alex Jones' attorney, Randall Wilhite, said that his client — who has said he believes 9/11 was an inside job — is not the same person off the air as he is on it. Wilhite drew a comparison to judging Jack Nicholson based on his role as the Joker in Batman.

"He's playing a character," he said. "He is a performance artist."

Jones, who was born in Dallas and spent much of his youth in Rockwall, started his career on Austin's public-access television before finding an audience of millions on Infowars, YouTube and The Alex Jones Show.

Reaction to Jones has been sharply divided and nearly as forceful as his oft-yelled proclamations:

The Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks hate groups, calls him "almost certainly the most prolific conspiracy theorist in contemporary America."

President Donald Trump, who appeared on Jones' radio show in December 2015, said his reputation "is amazing," adding: "I will not let you down." Jones later said Trump called to thank him after winning the election.

But state District Judge Orlinda Naranjo says the focus of the custody trial must be the children.

"This case is not about Infowars and I don't want it to be about Infowars," she said last week.

A jury was selected Monday, and opening arguments are set for Tuesday morning.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.