It is unusual for a true crime series to be executive produced by the individual central to the actual crime story that served as its inspiration. Such is the situation with The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox, an eight-part Hulu drama produced by Amanda Knox, an American exchange student who was accused of Meredith Kercher’s murder in Perugia, Italy, in 2007. Following a highly scrutinized trial, she spent four years of a 26-year sentence incarcerated before her murder conviction was ultimately reversed.
Episode 4, scheduled for broadcast on September 3, dramatizes a particularly memorable courtroom moment. Actress Grace Van Patten, portraying Amanda Knox, draws significant attention in the Perugia, Italy, courtroom on Valentine’s Day when she appears in a white t-shirt emblazoned with “All You Need Is Love” in pink text.
Following Patten’s Amanda Knox walking into the courtroom during the episode, the show transitions to fictional street interviews with Italians discussing Knox’s choice of attire. A young woman labels it “disgusting,” asserting, “Only a monster could do something like that.” Another man finds it “embarrassing.” A senior woman states Knox “mocks our city” and “mocks our country,” along with the Kercher family’s suffering. Knox’s legal team expresses anger, admitting they hadn’t considered advising her on court attire, but also noting they’d never represented a client who garnered such global media scrutiny.
Indeed, Knox even had a smile on her face as she wore the t-shirt, generating considerable controversy. A Daily Mail article, headlined “All you need is love: ‘Foxy Knoxy’ gives Valentine T-shirt message to murder court,” reported that she listened to The Beatles’ hit “All You Need Is Love” in prison. Newsweek commented, “Apparently no one on her all-male defense team had thought to coach her on what not to wear when on trial for murder.”
Knox disclosed to TIME that the shirt was a present from her stepmother: “She was aware of my deep appreciation for The Beatles, that I found solace in singing Beatles songs to myself frequently, and wished to convey love and encouragement to me through this small gesture.”
When questioned about her decision to wear the shirt to court, she explained: “At the beginning of the trial, my lawyers instructed me to simply be myself. It was Valentine’s Day, and ordinarily, I would have chosen my most ‘love’-themed shirt for that occasion. Despite being on trial, it remained a day when I felt compelled to recognize the love present in my life, especially the affection and encouragement I received from my family and friends during this challenging period.”
Knox anticipates this series will serve as a vehicle for her to reassert control over her own story. In her words, “It recounts how a young woman, having endured a traumatic event, endeavors to reclaim her life. Similar to all artistic endeavors, it aims to transmute raw—and in this instance, painful—experience into something aesthetically pleasing, universally understandable, and ultimately inspiring for its audience.”
