Amanda Knox faces backlash after announcing a comedy show at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe referencing her murder case, with Meredith Kercher’s family calling it “offensive”
Fury has erupted after Amanda Knox was signed up to perform a stand-up show at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, with critics blasting the move as “offensive” and deeply insensitive.
Knox, 38, will debut her show ‘Cartwheel’ at the world-famous festival this August, with the performance expected to reference the murder investigation that once saw her accused over the death of British student Meredith Kercher.
Kercher, 21, from Croydon, South London, was found dead in 2007 at the flat she shared with Knox in Perugia, Italy, in a case that shocked the world and dominated headlines for years.
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Knox and her then-boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, were convicted of the killing before they were later acquitted, with Italy’s highest court issuing a definitive acquittal in 2015. Another man, Rudy Guede, served 16 years in prison for the killing.
Now, Knox’s decision to enter the comedy world, and seemingly reference the case, has sparked outrage, particularly from those connected to Kercher’s family, the Sun reports.
Their lawyer, Francesco Maresca, branded the show an “offensive and deplorable” insult to Meredith’s memory. He said he had “lost all hope” that Knox could “comprehend the feelings” her actions have triggered in the victim’s loved ones.
The show’s title is believed to reference the cartwheels Knox performed while waiting to be questioned during the investigation – a detail that drew global attention at the time and has now reignited anger.
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe, founded in 1947, is the world’s largest arts festival, attracting thousands of performers and millions of visitors every year. Known for its open-access format, it has long been a platform for experimental, controversial and boundary-pushing acts.
Knox, who now lives in the US with her husband and two children, began pursuing comedy last year and previously opened for Nikki Glaser in front of 3,000 people.
Although she will not be paid for the Fringe appearance, the backlash continues to grow, with many questioning whether turning such a notorious case into material for comedy crosses a line.
Festival organisers at Gilded Balloon have yet to comment publicly on the controversy.
Knox’s comedy plans come after a recent appearance in London. In a move that left the Kercher family reeling, fans were invited to join Knox and her husband Chistopher Robinson at two special screenings of her documentary about the murder trial. But her plans were scuppered with the documentary being pulled at the last moment.
During her London stay, it emerged that Knox has written to baby killer Lucy Letby in prison and has even sent her a copy of her book. She said she would like to meet or speak to Letby. Amanda and her husband Chris are currently working on a podcast about Letby.
