Amanda Knox insists Meredith Kercher would have found hew new stand-up show about life as the British student’s convicted murderer funny
Amanda Knox has said she believes Meredith Kercher would have found humour in Knox’s new stand-up show, which addresses her experience of being wrongly convicted of Kercher’s murder. The comments are likely to provoke controversy because Kercher’s family and supporters have long objected to public projects that centre on Knox’s ordeal rather than the British student’s death.
Knox was convicted alongside Raffaele Sollecito in Italy in 2009 over Kercher’s 2007 murder in Perugia, but both were ultimately acquitted in 2015 after years of legal proceedings. Rudy Guede was separately convicted of Kercher’s murder. The article focuses on Knox’s effort to use comedy to discuss the case and her assertion about how Kercher might have responded.
In short
- Knox says Kercher would have appreciated her new comedy show.
- The show addresses Knox’s wrongful-conviction experience.
- The remarks may renew criticism over Kercher’s legacy.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Supporters may argue that Knox has a legitimate right to tell her own story and use humour to process years of public scrutiny, wrongful convictions and personal trauma. They may see the show as an attempt to reclaim a life long defined by a case she was ultimately acquitted of, rather than as a dismissal of Meredith Kercher’s death. On this view, comedy can address painful subjects responsibly if it recognises the gravity of the crime and avoids exploiting the victim.
The case against
Critics may argue that a stand-up show drawing on a murder case risks shifting attention from Kercher and her family to Knox’s experience, however understandable her wish to narrate it. They may regard assertions about what Kercher would have found funny as especially presumptuous, since Kercher cannot speak for herself and her family continues to live with the loss. On this view, respect for a victim and those close to her should impose particular restraint when using the case for entertainment.
Explained simply
Meredith Kercher was a British student studying in Perugia, Italy, when she was murdered in 2007. Amanda Knox, her American flatmate, and Knox’s then boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito were convicted over the killing in 2009, but both were ultimately acquitted in 2015 after years of legal proceedings. Rudy Guede was separately convicted.
The case attracted wide attention, including debate about how the investigation and trials were covered. Knox has since spoken publicly about her conviction and acquittal. Her comedy show revisits that experience, while Kercher’s family and supporters have objected to public projects that focus on Knox’s story.