Amanda Knox made her comedy debut at the Edinburgh Fringe, joking that the evidence in her murder trial was 'just vibes' and poking fun at her infamous kiss with her ex-boyfriend outside the crime scene in Italy. The 2009 conviction for the murder of student Meredith Kercher, which was overturned two years later, was the subject of her stand-up show 'Cartwheel' at the Gilded Balloon.
Knox, speaking to a packed room surrounded by children's toys, said the murder was pinned on her because she was 'a little too theatre kid'. She joked about the kiss, saying: 'Even if I had been dry-humping his leg while making awkward eye contact with the lead detective, that would make me in heat, but it wouldn't have made me a murderer.' She also added: 'Even if my nickname were murder pussy, it wouldn't make me a murderer.'
Family's criticism and petition
Meredith's sister, Stephanie Kercher, has launched a petition to cancel Knox's show, claiming it treats her sister's death as entertainment. The petition, titled 'Stop the Amanda Knox "Cartwheel" performance at the Edinburgh Fringe', has gathered almost 1,000 signatures in 48 hours ahead of the show's debut this weekend.
In the show, Knox described Meredith as 'so much more sensible than me', before adding: 'After her murder, everyone was so intent on judging me.' The Kercher family has heavily criticised the show, saying Knox was treating her rape and murder as a joke.
Defense of the show
A spokeswoman for Knox defended the performance, saying the petition made 'false assumptions and mischaracterises the show'. She said: 'Cartwheel is a show about motherhood, raising a daughter in a world that is unfair and dangerous for women, and what it costs to be the kind of mother who tells her the truth about that.'
The spokeswoman added: 'Neither the author of this petition nor anyone who signed it has seen Cartwheel. The petition contains false assumptions and mischaracterises the show. Cartwheel honours Meredith Kercher's memory. 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. It's a fairly precise description of what Cartwheel is about and why it deserves to exist.'
Gilded Balloon's response
Gilded Balloon said it had no comment beyond a statement given last month in defence of hosting the show. It said: 'The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is an open-access festival. As a Fringe venue, we provide a platform for a wide range of voices, in line with the Fringe's long-standing commitment to freedom of expression (within the confines of the law) and ensure our audiences can make informed choices. Artists and companies choose to participate at our venue and take on the financial and creative responsibility for their work. Amanda's show is a one-woman piece exploring themes of motherhood, presented independently by her.'
Knox has defended the show, saying she believed that her former flatmate would have found it 'funny'. The controversy highlights the ongoing tension between freedom of expression and sensitivity towards victims' families in the arts.
