LONDON (AP) — Amanda Knox, the American student twice convicted and later acquitted in the 2007 murder of her British flatmate Meredith Kercher, is set to perform an 11-night comedy show at the Edinburgh Fringe festival starting Friday. The show, titled ‘Cartwheel’, has drawn criticism from Kercher’s sister, who is calling for its cancellation.
Knox defends show as tribute; Kercher family calls it insensitive
Knox, now 39, posted on Instagram that her show ‘honors Meredith Kercher’s memory and calls out the violence that was done to her and to me.’ The title references a disputed claim that Knox performed cartwheels in a police station after Kercher’s death. Knox describes the performance as a reflection on her wrongful imprisonment, motherhood, and the passage of time. Tickets for all 11 shows have sold out, according to the Fringe festival’s website.
Stephanie Kercher, Meredith’s sister, told BBC Breakfast that the show ‘could not fathom’ how rape and murder could be the subject of comedy. She urged Knox to consider the family’s ‘immense’ pain, stating, ‘Meredith absolutely wouldn’t find these topics of any comedy value.’ Kercher added that the family’s suffering has persisted for two decades. A petition launched by a family friend has gathered over 3,500 signatures calling for the show’s cancellation.
Legal history and case background
Knox and her then-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito were initially convicted in 2009 for Kercher’s murder but were acquitted on appeal in 2011. Italy’s highest court confirmed their acquittal in 2015. Rudy Guede, convicted in a separate trial, served 16 years after his DNA was found at the crime scene and was released in 2021. Knox returned to the U.S. in 2011 following her acquittal.
The case gained global attention due to its sensational elements, including disputed forensic evidence, conflicting witness testimonies, and Knox’s controversial statements during police interrogations. The murder occurred on November 2, 2007, in Perugia, Italy, where Kercher, Knox, and two Italian women shared an apartment. Guede was convicted based on forensic evidence linking him to the scene.