What does it mean that Amanda Knox lost her latest appeal in Italian court?

In what feels like an endless series of plot twists related to this case, Amanda Knox‘s legal saga in Italy continues. The American, who became a household name 17 years ago when she was accused of murdering her British roommate Meredith Kercher in Perugia, Italy, just lost her latest appeal in an Italian court.

In 2007, Knox was a 20-year-old exchange student living her best study abroad life in Perugia when her world turned upside down. Her roommate, Meredith Kercher, was tragically found murdered in their shared apartment. Knox and her then-boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, were accused of the crime in what prosecutors bizarrely described as a “sex game gone wrong.”

What followed was a complex set of legal reversals that would test anyone’s resilience. Knox and Sollecito were initially convicted in 2009, then acquitted on appeal in 2011. And just when Knox thought she could finally enjoy a decent cup of Seattle coffee again, Italy’s highest court ordered a retrial. I bet you’ll never guess what happened next. They were found guilty again in 2014, but—shock, horror—the Supreme Court of Italy overturned their convictions in 2015, citing “stunning flaws” in the investigation.

How does this new verdict affect Amanda Knox?

At this point, you might be wondering, “If she was exonerated, why is she back in Italian court?” Well, it’s not about the murder this time. It’s about slander. During those intense early days of the investigation, a scared and confused Knox accused Patrick Lumumba, the owner of the bar where she worked part-time, of committing the crime. Lumumba spent two weeks in jail before being cleared, and he (rightfully) wasn’t thrilled about it.

Knox has maintained that she made the false accusation under intense police pressure, without a lawyer or a competent translator present. In 2019, the European Court of Human Rights agreed, ruling that Italy had violated her rights during questioning, ordering Italy to pay her €18,400 in damages.

That brings us to today. Knox, now 36 and a mom of two, returned to Italy hoping to clear her name “once and for all.” She even gave a heartfelt nine-minute statement in Italian, saying,

“I’m sorry I wasn’t strong enough to resist the pressure of the police.”

Amanda Knox

But in a decision that feels like it came from the writers of Game of Thrones (pre-season 8), the Florence court upheld her slander conviction.

The good news? Knox won’t be heading back to an Italian prison. She’s already served the three-year sentence during her four years in jail before being acquitted of murder. The bad news? This conviction still hangs over her head like a persistent cloud. It’s the legal equivalent of having an embarrassing high school photo that keeps resurfacing on Facebook.

Knox’s lawyer, Carlo Dalla Vedova, says she’s “very embittered” by the verdict. Understandable, considering she was hoping this trial would be the final chapter in her 17-year legal odyssey. Meanwhile, Lumumba’s lawyer is “very happy,” stating that Knox “tried to play the victim here but in the end, the court convicted her.”

This case really is one for the books. Knox has gone from being portrayed as a “she-devil” in the Italian media to an advocate for criminal justice reform in the U.S. She’s written a bestselling memoir, hosts a podcast with her husband, and has a Netflix documentary about her life. There were even plans for a Hulu series starring Margaret Qualley, though she recently dropped out of the project.

In practical terms, this latest setback doesn’t mean much for Knox. She’s not going back to prison, and with an estimated net worth of $500,000 (mostly from her $4 million book deal), she’s doing okay financially. But emotionally? It’s another chapter in a story she desperately wants to close.

In her own words from her podcast Labyrinths, Knox says the slander conviction still disturbs her. For some, she believes, it’s “proof that I am a liar…and that I’ve never told the full truth about what happened to Meredith.” Knox has been perma-cast as a supervillain when all she wants is to rebrand.

As Knox’s legal team prepares for another potential appeal, one thing’s apparent: her story is far from over. In an era where true crime dominates our streaming services, Knox’s story remains one of the most gripping—and polarizing—narratives of our time. It’s a sobering reminder that in the court of public opinion, verdicts can linger long after the gavel falls.