Amanda Knox defends comedy show after Meredith Kercher murder criticism

& Hollie BealeFri, August 7, 2026 at 12:51 PM UTC

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Amanda Knox has defended her comedy show -Credit:Reach Publishing Services Limited

Amanda Knox, the American student who was convicted and later acquitted of the murder and sexual assault of her British roommate Meredith Kercher 19 years ago in Italy, is now pushing back against claims from Kercher's sister that her comedy show at the Edinburgh Fringe festival in Scotland makes light of violence against women.

Knox, now 39, stated Thursday in an Instagram post that her show "honors Meredith Kercher's memory and calls out the violence that was done to her and to me."

The show, titled "Cartwheel," takes its name from a widely circulated story alleging that Knox performed cartwheels at the police station following Kercher's death. It debuts Friday evening and is scheduled to run for 11 consecutive nights at the Scottish capital's beloved annual celebration of stand-up comedy, theater, and musical performances.

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The production is being promoted as the story of a woman "approaching forty, juggling motherhood and finally getting around to being furious about the whole wrongful-imprisonment thing. Especially when half the world is telling her to get over it, while the other half still thinks she's guilty."

Knox was just 20 years old and studying in Perugia when Kercher was discovered stabbed to death on Nov. 2, 2007, in her bedroom of the apartment the two shared with a pair of Italian women. The case captured global attention as suspicion rapidly turned to Knox and her boyfriend of just a few days, Raffaele Sollecito.

She spent nearly four years behind bars throughout the investigation, the initial murder trial, and her subsequent release by an appeals court in Perugia. Both were ultimately cleared by Italy's highest court in 2015.

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Meredith Kercher's sister criticized the upcoming comedy show -Credit:BBC

A third individual, Rudy Hermann Guede, originally from the Ivory Coast, was later convicted of the murder after his DNA was discovered at the scene. He walked free in 2021, having served the majority of his 16-year sentence.

Knox returned home to the United States in 2011 following her release by the Perugia appeals court, and has since built a reputation as a prominent international advocate for the wrongfully convicted. She hosts a podcast alongside her husband and last year released a memoir titled, "Free: My Search for Meaning."

Knox's post comes on the heels of an interview given by Meredith Kercher's sister, Stephanie Kercher, to the BBC, in which she argued the show "normalizes and trivializes violence against women."

While acknowledging that Knox is "naturally free to continue with her life as she wishes," Stephanie expressed serious reservations, stating that "the problem with this particular project is that it is comedy.

Amanda has defended her decision -Credit:Getty Images

"It's not about whether people think she's guilty or innocent, if someone else was doing the show specifically against Meredith, I would still feel the same, it is obviously an added wound that it's coming from her at the same time, but I do feel very strongly that it should be something that's not given a platform," she said. An online petition demanding the show's cancellation has gained significant traction, amassing more than 4,400 signatures.

The petition contends that the show "mocks the horrific events surrounding Meredith's murder and aims to somehow turn this tragedy into entertainment."

Knox fired back, asserting that "a petition to cancel a show no one has seen, on the grounds of false accusations intended to shame and vilify a wronged woman into silence, is not an argument against Cartwheel."

She further maintained that the Edinburgh Fringe "is the perfect place for a show like this."

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Entertainment”