Amanda Knox defends comedy show after backlash from Meredith Kercher’s sister
Amanda Knox is standing by her Edinburgh Fringe comedy show, pushing back against claims from Meredith Kercher’s sister that the performance trivializes violence against women.
Knox, 39, was convicted and later acquitted of murdering her British roommate Kercher in Italy 19 years ago. She took to Instagram on Thursday to say her show “honors Meredith Kercher’s memory” and “calls out the violence that was done to her and to me.”
The show, titled “Cartwheel,” debuted Friday evening and runs for 11 nights straight at the Scottish festival. Its title nods to a widely repeated claim that Knox did cartwheels at the police station after Kercher’s death. The show is being pitched as the story of a woman nearing forty, balancing motherhood while finally processing her wrongful imprisonment.
The backlash follows a BBC interview with Kercher’s sister, Stephanie, who said the show “normalizes and trivializes violence against women.” She acknowledged that Knox is free to live her life however she chooses, but argued that turning this particular story into comedy crosses a line.
Stephanie stressed that her objection is not about guilt or innocence. She said the same discomfort would apply even if someone else were behind the show, though she admitted it stings more knowing it’s Knox herself. She said she feels strongly that the project shouldn’t be given a platform at all.
An online petition demanding the show’s cancellation has gathered more than 4,400 signatures so far. It accuses the show of mocking the tragedy surrounding Kercher’s death and turning it into entertainment.
Knox has previously defended the project in other interviews too. She told The Telegraph she believes Kercher would have “appreciated” the show, calling it an honest look at what it means to be a young woman, and even guessed her late roommate would have found parts of it funny.
Despite the criticism, Knox appears set on moving forward with the run as planned. The show continues through the rest of its scheduled dates in Edinburgh, with public reaction still divided over whether the format is appropriate for such a painful and personal subject.
For now, the controversy has added extra attention to a performance that was already drawing curiosity given Knox’s unusual path from headline-making legal saga to stand-up stage.
