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Amanda Knox to write agony aunt newspaper column

Exonerated former murder suspect to offer insight on ‘life, love, suffering and meaning’

Harry Cockburn
Thursday 31 October 2019 07:38 EDT
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Earlier this year Knox married Chris Robinson, whose family publish Westside Seattle
Earlier this year Knox married Chris Robinson, whose family publish Westside Seattle (AP)

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Amanda Knox, who was twice convicted and twice acquitted of the 2007 murder of a student in Italy, is to write an advice column in a Seattle newspaper.

Ms Knox, 32, who spent four years in jail in Italy, will periodically pen an agony aunt column titled “Ask Amanda Knox”, which will apparently offer insight on “life, love, suffering and meaning” for weekly local newspaper Westside Seattle.

Ms Knox and her ex-boyfriend Rafaele Sollecito were convicted of the murder of her flatmate Meredith Kercher before eventually being freed in 2011 and definitively exonerated in 2015.

The announcement of her new role on Westside Seattle’s website says: “Amanda Knox spent four years in an Italian prison for a murder she didn’t commit and it’s given her a unique perspective on life.

“Now fully exonerated, this bestselling author and advocate for criminal justice reform offers her insights, such as they are, to reader questions about life, love, suffering, and meaning.”

Ms Knox, who is originally from Seattle, married Chris Robinson earlier this year, whose family publish the newspaper.

Responding to the announcement of the new column, one commentator wrote on Facebook: “Good lord, you’re kidding…right?” to which the newspaper’s director of new media Patrick Robinson replied: “No.. Amanda is now married into the Robinson family and thus part of our publishing effort. She married Chris Robinson earlier this year.”

Mr Robinson also said Ms Knox would not be paid for the column.

The marriage also made headlines when the couple reportedly tried to “crowdfund” the celebration after a website which allowed friends and family to make donations to the space-themed party was publicly shared across the internet.

At the time, Ms Knox said: “To clarify, we never were asking strangers for money.”

Since her release from prison, Ms Knox has worked as an activist and journalist and her 2013 memoir – Waiting to be Heard – became a bestseller. She was also part of a 2016 Netflix documentary exploring the murder case.

Westside Seattle did not immediately respond to request for comment.

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