Raffaele Sollecito, the ex-boyfriend of Amanda Knox, has publicly criticized her one-woman Edinburgh Fringe show 'Cartwheel', calling it 'puzzling' that a tragedy is being used as a draw for a comedy show. Sollecito and Knox were convicted in 2009 of the murder and sexual assault of British student Meredith Kercher, but were both cleared in 2015.
Sollecito's Reaction
Speaking to the Mail on Sunday, Sollecito, 42, said he has not seen the show but expressed his concerns based on its promotion. He stated: 'I haven’t seen it, so I cannot pass judgement on its content. However, based on how it has been presented and promoted, I find it puzzling that a tragedy is being used as a draw for a comedy show. Personally, it is not an approach I agree with. I am trying to process and move past what happened in a different way. I don’t believe there is a right or wrong recipe for dealing with trauma; everyone finds their own path.'
The Show and Petition
Knox performed 'Cartwheel' on Friday night in Edinburgh. The title refers to a story that she did cartwheels in a police station after her friend's death. A petition, launched by a friend of the Kercher family and signed by over 37,000 people, claims the show turns Ms Kercher's rape and murder into 'entertainment'. Meredith's sister said it 'normalises and trivialises violence against women'.
Audience and Knox's Response
Audience members leaving the show described it as 'powerful' and 'respectful'. One man said Knox has the right to tell her story and was 'profoundly respectful' to the victim. In an Instagram statement, Knox defended the show, saying it 'honours Meredith Kercher’s memory' and that the petition contains false assumptions. She added that the show is about motherhood and the costs of telling the truth to a daughter in a world unfair to women.
Meredith Kercher, 21, was found dead in her Perugia flat in 2007, having been raped and her throat slit. Knox and Sollecito were convicted, but their convictions were overturned in 2015. Rudy Guede is the only person definitively convicted of the murder.
