Amanda Knox was trapped in abusive relationship because ‘last time I called police, I was the one who got sent to prison’

Amanda Knox has shared disturbing details about her dating life after returning from Italy, revealing she was in a relationship with a man who turned out to be violent and similar to her roommate’s killer. The 38-year-old made these shocking revelations during an appearance on the Armchair Expert podcast on Monday, August 25.

Knox, who was wrongfully convicted of the 2007 murder of her British roommate Meredith Kercher, explained how difficult dating became after her release from prison. She described the challenges she faced as someone who had been portrayed as a “sex monster” by the media and public.

According to People, the situation became dangerous when Knox tried to end the relationship with the unnamed man, who had told her he was recently released from jail for a crime he didn’t commit. “When I tell him to leave, he doesn’t leave,” Knox explained. “I think I’m rid of him, and then I come home and he’s broken into my house. And the last time I called the police for someone breaking into my house, I was the one who got sent to prison. What do I do? I’m still on trial. And if word got out that I was shacking up with a criminal. It would be over.”

Knox describes feeling vulnerable and trapped

Knox revealed that she initially felt drawn to this man because she thought he would understand her situation. She explained that she was “immediately predisposed to believe him and to sympathize with him” when he claimed to be innocent of his crimes. Knox said she was “all in” on the relationship before discovering the truth about his violent past.

The man had been arrested for domestic violence and breaking and entering, which Knox only learned after they were already involved. She made a chilling comparison, saying “this person who now is in my home is very, very much like the man who murdered my roommate.”

Knox’s vulnerability at the time made the situation particularly dangerous. She had spent years trying to navigate a world that seemed to want her to disappear, which made her more susceptible to someone who claimed to understand her struggles. Knox described feeling like there was no place for her in the world and that people “wouldn’t be surprised or upset” if she harmed herself.

Knox’s stepfather intervened to help

The dangerous situation was eventually resolved when Knox’s stepfather stepped in to “save” her, though she did not provide details about how the intervention took place. Knox has previously spoken about the ongoing impact of her wrongful conviction on her personal relationships and mental health.

Knox was able to move past this disturbing period in her life and eventually found love with her now-husband, Christopher Robinson. She described Robinson as someone who was not interested in true crime and deliberately avoided researching her case when they first met. He only began to understand the full scope of her situation when they started dating and people began posting threatening images on social media.

The couple now hosts podcasts together and has two children. Knox continues to advocate for criminal justice reform and works with organizations dedicated to freeing innocent people from prison. Her story has been dramatized in the new Hulu series The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox, which premiered in August 2024 with Knox serving as an executive producer alongside Monica Lewinsky.