Amanda Knox is defending her new comedy show, titled “Cartwheel,” which is set to debut at the Edinburgh Fringe festival. The show, which Knox states honors her murdered former flatmate Meredith Kercher, has drawn criticism from Kercher’s sister, Stephanie Kercher, who argues that the performance trivializes violence against women.
Knox’s Defense of “Cartwheel”
In a social media post on Thursday, Knox, now 39, asserted that her comedy show is intended to “honor Meredith Kercher’s memory and call out the violence that was done to her and to me.” The title “Cartwheel” refers to a widely reported, though disputed, anecdote claiming Knox performed cartwheels at a police station following Kercher’s death. The show is scheduled for an 11-night run at the renowned Scottish festival, which features a diverse array of performances including stand-up comedy, theater, and music.
The marketing for “Cartwheel” describes it as the work 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.”
Background of the Case
The case dates back to November 2, 2007, when Meredith Kercher, a British student, was found stabbed to death in her bedroom in Perugia, Italy. Knox, who was 20 at the time and sharing the apartment with Kercher and two Italian roommates, became a central figure in the subsequent investigation. Suspicion quickly fell upon Knox and her then-boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito.
Knox spent nearly four years in prison during the investigation and initial trial phases. She was later freed by an appeals court in Perugia, and in 2015, Italy’s highest court definitively acquitted both Knox and Sollecito. The murder conviction ultimately rested on Rudy Hermann Guede, from Ivory Coast, whose DNA was found at the crime scene. Guede was convicted of murder and, after serving the majority of his 16-year sentence, was released in 2021.
Following her acquittal and release, Knox returned to the United States in 2011. She has since become an advocate for the wrongly convicted, co-hosting a podcast with her husband and publishing a memoir titled “Free: My Search for Meaning” last year.
Criticism from Meredith Kercher’s Sister
Stephanie Kercher, Meredith’s sister, voiced her concerns in an interview with the BBC, stating that Knox’s show “normalizes and trivializes violence against women.” While acknowledging Knox’s right to live her life, Stephanie Kercher expressed distress over the use of comedy in relation to the tragedy.
“It’s not about whether people think she’s guilty or innocent,” Stephanie Kercher explained. “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.”
A petition has been launched online calling for the cancellation of “Cartwheel,” gathering over 4,400 signatures. The petition asserts that the show “mocks the horrific events surrounding Meredith’s murder and aims to somehow turn this tragedy into entertainment.”
Knox’s Response to Criticism and Petition
Amanda Knox countered the criticism by stating 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 remarked that the Edinburgh Fringe festival is “the perfect place for a show like this,” suggesting the festival’s environment is conducive to the kind of performance she intends to deliver.
The Edinburgh Fringe is one of the largest arts festivals in the world, providing a platform for thousands of performers. Knox’s decision to stage a show addressing her experiences, particularly in relation to the murder of Meredith Kercher, has reignited public discussion surrounding the complex and tragic events of 2007.
