Amanda Knox was only 20 years old in 2007 when she became the center of international attention as the American exchange student in Perugia, Italy, whose British roommate, Meredith Kercher, was tragically found dead in their shared apartment. Knox's life took a harrowing turn as she spent nearly four years behind bars, enduring a tumultuous legal battle that saw her convicted and reconvicted of murder before finally being exonerated by Italy's highest court in 2015. The media vilified her during this ordeal, labeling her as Foxy Knoxy, a term that contributed to her demonization in the public eye.
Now, Knox's tumultuous story has been transformed into an eight-part series titled The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox, available for streaming on Hulu. Knox serves as an executive producer for the series, collaborating with another woman with a controversial past, Monica Lewinsky. The series features actress Grace van Patten in the role of Knox, who poignantly states in a voiceover, “Many people think they know my story, but finally it's my turn to tell it.” This dramatization explores the profound impact the events had on Knox, her family, and Kercher's family, as well as Knox's then-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito, who also faced imprisonment and eventual exoneration.
In a unique twist, the series also presents the perspective of Italian magistrate Giuliano Mignini, whom Knox refers to as "my prosecutor." In an interview with NPR, Knox revealed, “Me and my prosecutor are still in contact today. I've been receiving text messages from him this morning.” During a recent meeting at a West Hollywood hotel, Knox appeared fresh-faced and candid, sitting barefoot on a sun-drenched windowsill, sharing her thoughts on the series and its reception. “People who have seen the series, their sort of immediate feedback is, whoa, it was more intense than I was thinking it was going to be,” she noted.
For years, Knox has been on a mission to reclaim her narrative, having authored two memoirs and participated in a Netflix documentary in 2016. In this new Hulu series, Knox even co-wrote the final episode. She expressed her desire for connection, stating, “The thing that I was seeking after having been ostracized and vilified and literally imprisoned was human connection. I wanted people to relate to my experience.” Knox aims to reach those who still believe she and Sollecito were involved in the crime, despite the fact that Rudy Guede is the only person definitively convicted of Meredith Kercher's murder, having been released from prison in 2021.
Knox's journey toward reclaiming her voice took a significant step forward when she delivered her first public talk in 2017. “I was terrified of saying the wrong thing,” she admitted, reflecting on her fears of being misunderstood. She sought support from Monica Lewinsky, who graciously invited her to her hotel room for a pep talk. “Lewinsky really big sister'd me through that experience,” Knox shared. Lewinsky, known for her involvement in the infamous Clinton scandal in the late 1990s, empathized with Knox's plight, acknowledging their shared experiences of public scrutiny at a young age.
Both women have faced intense media scrutiny and vilification. Lewinsky, now an anti-bullying activist and podcaster, stated, “Women, especially young women, are collateral damage when internalized misogyny gets spewed out in the newspapers or in the news or is clickbait.” She emphasized the need to understand the lasting damage that comes from being publicly shamed and ridiculed.
After years of silence, Lewinsky re-entered public life with her 2014 Vanity Fair article titled “Shame and Survival,” followed by a TED Talk on “The Price of Shame.” She also co-produced the limited series Impeachment: American Crime Story for FX. Partnering with 20th Television, Lewinsky developed the new Hulu series, inspired by a New York Times article where Knox expressed her desire to share her story on screen. “I had a very bonkers narrative in my head about what had actually happened,” Lewinsky remarked, acknowledging her misconceptions before diving into Knox's tale.
Showrunner K.J. Steinberg meticulously crafted the series by reviewing thousands of pages of court documents, forensic files, and witness statements. She commended the resilience of both Knox and Lewinsky, stating, “They're both extraordinary women.” Despite their individual experiences, Lewinsky noted that her relationship with her interrogators differed significantly from Knox’s ongoing communication with her prosecutor.
Today, Amanda Knox is not only a passionate advocate for wrongful convictions but also serves on the board of The Innocence Center, a nonprofit organization dedicated to freeing innocent individuals from prison. Along with her husband, Christopher Robinson, Knox hosts two true crime podcasts and is a devoted mother of two young children living near Seattle. “I want people to come away knowing that whatever traumatic thing that they're experiencing, their life is not over,” she emphasized, encouraging others to find strength in their experiences.
In addition to her advocacy work, Amanda Knox has recently discovered a new passion: performing stand-up comedy. She also occasionally sings with fellow exonerees in a band called The Exonerees, showcasing her resilience and commitment to turning her painful past into a source of inspiration for others.
