Amanda Knox faces backlash over Edinburgh Fringe show about Meredith Kercher case

Amanda Knox opened her solo stand-up show Cartwheel at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Edinburgh on Friday night as Meredith Kercher’s family accused her of turning a murder case into entertainment. The show is scheduled to run for 11 straight nights. Knox, who was convicted and later acquitted in connection with Kercher’s murder, said the set is about motherhood and how she will explain what happened in Perugia to her daughter.

In the Fringe listing, the material is Knox “approaching forty, juggling motherhood and finally getting around to being furious about the whole wrongful-imprisonment thing.” Cartwheel also refers to a claim that Knox cartwheeled in a police station after Kercher’s death, a story Knox has disputed.

Stephanie Kercher said on BBC Breakfast that Knox should think about Meredith Kercher’s family and friends and imagine how she would feel if the roles were reversed. She said the show “normalises and trivialises” violence against women and Meredith, and more than 2,000 people signed a petition calling for Cartwheel to be cancelled on the same grounds.

Knox defended the show on Instagram, saying it “honors Meredith Kercher’s memory” and that she does not joke about Meredith’s death or murder. Knox’s public profile has widened beyond the courtroom into writing, podcasting and a Disney and Hulu drama project about her life.