Who Is Amanda Knox? The Controversial Case Hulu Is Bringing Back to Light

Hulu’s new biographical drama miniseries The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox reintroduces the story of Amanda Knox’s wrongful conviction almost two decades later. Created by K.J. Steinberg and starring Grace Van Patten as Knox, the series revisits her wrongful conviction in the 2007 murder of Meredith Kercher in Perugia, Italy. With Hulu’s retelling sparking new conversations, here is a detailed look at the case, its aftermath and the collaboration that makes this series especially significant. Alongside Knox herself, Monica Lewinsky joins as an executive producer, adding another layer of resonance to a narrative marked by media obsession, stigma and public judgment.

Why was Amanda Knox wrongfully convicted and who really killed Meredith in Italy?

Prosecutors believed that Kercher’s death was part of an erotic game gone wrong, partly due to Knox’s MySpace nickname “Foxy Knoxy.” The narrative was spread in newspapers across Europe and the United States, portraying her as a dangerous and manipulative woman. 

Within days of the murder, Knox and her boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, became the primary suspects of the investigation. One of her roommates, Filomena Romanelli, later testified in court about the night of the crime. Despite the lack of reliable physical evidence, both were convicted two years later. Knox ended up spending nearly four years in prison before an appeals court overturned the conviction in 2011 and eventually, Italy’s highest court fully exonerated her in 2015.

The case against Knox and Sollecito is now widely seen as a cautionary tale about trial by media and prosecutorial overreach. With Hulu’s The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox, audiences are invited to look beyond the tabloid headlines and understand the deeper impact of public scrutiny, stigma and wrongful conviction.

What happened to Rudy Guede and where is he now?

Much later, it was discovered that Rudy Guede, a 20-year-old with a known history of break-ins, killed Meredith Kercher, or at least that is what the evidence pointed towards. His DNA was found on Kercher’s body, her clothing and her belongings. He fled Italy after the murder but was arrested in Germany and extradited. Guede admitted being present but denied killing Kercher.

Rudy Guede was sentenced to 16 years in prison for the murder of Meredith Kercher. While Knox and Sollecito endured years of appeals, Guede’s conviction remained unchanged, largely because of the overwhelming DNA evidence against him.

In 2021, Guede was released after serving 13 years. He has since attempted to live a quieter life, reportedly working with volunteer organizations. However, his early release reignited debate, with Kercher’s family voicing concerns about whether justice had been fully served. Knox herself has acknowledged that Guede’s freedom is another reminder of how quickly the legal system moved against her, compared with how it handled the actual evidence.

Why did Amanda Knox go back to Italy in 2022?

In 2022, Amanda Knox returned to Italy for the first time since her exoneration to visit Giuliano Mignini, the prosecutor who put her behind bars.

“I think that’s an important point to make as I’m not a person whose faith, for example, compels them to forgive. That was not my goal. My goal was to understand him… there was this deep curiosity in me to try to understand this person who decided that I was a dangerous person, who deserved to spend the most years of my life in prison,” she told People in March 2025. 

Amanda stated that she wanted to understand his work and also partly because she wanted him to admit he was wrong. 

“I was haunted by this ‘Why?’ question. Why did this happen to me? If they had done their job correctly, I would be a footnote in Meredith’s story,” Amanda said during an interview with the Guardian in 2025.

Amanda Knox and Monica Lewinsky: A shared story of survival in the spotlight

The Hulu limited series The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox brings Amanda Knox and Monica Lewinsky together as executive producers. Both women suffered intense public shaming in their youth and have since worked to reclaim their voices after being reduced to symbols of scandal. Knox described the origin of their friendship in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. After a joint lecture in 2017, Lewinsky invited her for tea and conversation in her hotel room. 

“She had a lot of advice on restoring my voice and my narrative. It became a turning point for me,” Knox recalled.

Lewinsky also spoke candidly about their connection, saying, “I can see that she bears pain, and it’s a very unique pain that I recognize.” 

Later, in an interview with CNN’s Erin Burnett, she explained why the project resonated: 

“At the time I had a preview contract, and I thought: the story we think we know is actually a little different – right up my alley.”

Both Knox and Lewinsky emphasized that collaborating on the Hulu limited series The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox is about more than revisiting a trial. It is an attempt to shed light on how public shaming can strip people of their humanity. Lewinsky has become a prominent voice in conversations about online harassment and public humiliation. 

Amanda Knox and Monica Lewinsky’s collaboration suggests that sometimes the most powerful way to heal is by reshaping the narrative that once defined you.

Stay tuned with us for further updates.