The Gist – KJ Steinberg on The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox

Host: Mike Pesca (Peach Fish Productions)
Guest: KJ Steinberg (Showrunner, Hulu’s "The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox")
Date: September 30, 2025
Duration: ~30 minutes

Episode Overview

Mike Pesca interviews KJ Steinberg, creator and showrunner of Hulu’s The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox, a multi-part series revisiting the infamous Amanda Knox case through a fresh narrative lens. The discussion explores the show’s storytelling choices, the complexities of depicting real people—especially with Amanda Knox closely involved—and the challenges of balancing true crime storytelling with deep empathy for all those affected. The episode also addresses ongoing public perceptions of Amanda Knox and the ethical quandaries of representing victim and accused alongside the voices of their families.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Focusing on Amanda’s Perspective

• Narrative Imperative:
  Steinberg explains the series deliberately prioritized Amanda’s perspective, countering years of tabloid and media coverage that often excluded her own voice (07:33–10:25).

  • "You can't tell a story from every character's point of view … for so long we consumed stories about Amanda from completely outside her point of view."
    — KJ Steinberg [07:55]

• Humanizing Amanda:
  Steinberg emphasizes that the show seeks to examine, not excuse, Amanda’s sometimes-criticized behavior, investigating how she experienced events in real time.

Representing Subjectivity & “Odd” Behavior

• Challenge of Perspective:
  Pesca asks how the show handles scenes where Amanda admits not knowing how she was perceived, navigating the gap between Amanda’s perspective and that of observers (10:25–13:50).

  • "Amanda even writes about … she wasn't always aware … shouldn't always know how she was coming across."
    — Mike Pesca [10:25]

• Multi-faceted Approach:
  Steinberg describes the use of testimony, court records, and multiple points of view in specific episodes—without making the series hagiographic or whitewashed.

  • "In order not to do a hagiography of Amanda, I wasn't interested in whitewashing … I was interested in examining it."
    — KJ Steinberg [11:24]

Collaboration with Amanda Knox

• Executive Producer Input:
  Pesca highlights the “triply refracted mirror”—Amanda watching herself, watching others’ reactions, and collaborating on the show (13:50–16:30).
  • Steinberg praises Knox’s openness and self-reflection in allowing even negative interpretations to be depicted.
    • "She gives herself grace for all of that, and that grace gives her the ability to allow those moments to be depicted. She understands what's hers and … what she can't control, which is people's perception of her."
      — KJ Steinberg [14:53]

Discovery & Impact of Italian Legal System

• Revelations for Amanda:
  The show’s research surfaced details even Amanda didn’t know—like how quickly she was surveilled and targeted by police (17:21–19:36).

  • "Amanda didn't realize until I told her how quickly into the investigation they saw her as a suspect … that knocked her back when I told her."
    — KJ Steinberg [17:24]

• Legal & Defamation Hurdles:
  Steinberg discusses the logistical barriers of working within the Italian justice system, including the low threshold for defamation and resultant narrative choices (19:51–21:57).

Public Perception, Stigma, and Trauma

• Long-lasting Public Associations:
  Pesca explores the burden of being publically associated with a crime, summarizing the “dangerous certainty” that follows Amanda’s name (22:51–24:45).
  • Steinberg notes that this is both what drew her to the project and what connected Amanda’s story to contemporary discourse about misinformation and divisive certainty.
    • "Her name just elicits certainty from people. A very, very dangerous certainty. Right."
      — KJ Steinberg [22:59]

Monica Lewinsky’s Role & Aftermath Focus

• Insights from Monica Lewinsky:
  Fellow executive producer Monica Lewinsky influenced the series’ focus on the aftermath—how Amanda and others attempt to rebuild life post-scandal and incarceration (24:53–28:07).

  • "The echoes of trauma are loud and they are long. … You can't just return to life and pick up where you left off before the trauma and the drama happened."
    — KJ Steinberg [24:53]

• Concentric Circles of Harm:
  The series broadens to include the secondary trauma experienced by families and other figures wrongly implicated, not just Amanda.

  • "The blast radius was really, really quite vast when you think about the human lives that were damaged."
    — KJ Steinberg [28:07]

Depicting Meredith Kercher & Sensitivity to Victim’s Family

• Ethical Storytelling:
  Pesca and Steinberg discuss the frequent criticism that projects about Amanda Knox risk overshadowing Meredith Kercher, centering the conversation on handling that dilemma ethically (28:07–33:01).
  • Steinberg says the series only depicts Meredith through Amanda’s direct experience, avoiding fictionalizing scenes of the Kercher family.
    • "We had choices … Amanda and I talked early on about how tender and delicate this was … and wanting to handle the depiction of Meredith and her family with the utmost sensitivity."
      — KJ Steinberg [29:44]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Decision to Tell Amanda’s Story from Her POV:
  "It became really clear to me that that was the best way to tell the story anyway. And the most distillation of so much confusing and conflicting information."
  — KJ Steinberg [07:55]

• On Amanda’s Self-Awareness and Depiction:
  "She understands that she rubbed folks the wrong way. She understands that the grace that I give her and that she gives herself for how she comported herself … gives her the ability to allow those moments to be depicted."
  — KJ Steinberg [14:53]

• On the Italian Investigation:
  "Amanda didn't realize until I told her how quickly into the investigation they saw her as a suspect … that knocked her back when I told her."
  — KJ Steinberg [17:24]

• On Lasting Associations and Public Judgment:
  "Her name just elicits certainty from people. A very, very dangerous certainty."
  — KJ Steinberg [22:59]

• On the Wide Reach of Trauma:
  "The blast radius was really, really quite vast when you think about the human lives that were damaged."
  — KJ Steinberg [28:07]

• On Handling Meredith Kercher’s Narrative:
  "…Amanda and I talked early on about how tender and delicate this was … that we could never satisfy everybody's sensibilities. We had to handle it in a way that felt deeply respectful."
  — KJ Steinberg [29:44]

Timestamps by Section

• Amanda’s Perspective & Narrative Choices: 07:11–13:31
• Representing Objectivity and Multiple Viewpoints: 10:25–14:53
• Amanda as EP & Facing Her Own Portrayal: 13:50–16:30
• Revelations from Research/Italian System: 17:21–19:36
• Legal Limitations in Italy: 19:51–21:57
• Perpetual Public Shadow: 22:51–24:45
• Aftermath, Trauma & Monica Lewinsky’s Influence: 24:53–28:07
• Depicting Meredith with Sensitivity: 28:07–33:01

Tone & Final Thoughts

The conversation is reflective, honest, and nuanced, often bordering on empathetic analysis. Steinberg and Pesca never shy from the complexities or the pain at the heart of the story, offering insight not just into the making of a true crime series but into the lives altered by it. Throughout, both speaker and guest emphasize the moral responsibility that comes with telling—and retelling—a story as fraught and public as Amanda Knox’s, always with consideration for the wider human cost.

For Listeners in a Hurry:

• This episode is a deep dive into the challenges of telling Amanda Knox’s story on television—with Amanda closely involved.
• The series intentionally centers her point of view, exploring both the facts and the subjective experiences behind her vilification.
• The team took great care handling the Kercher family narrative and sought to avoid exploitation or sensationalism.
• Monica Lewinsky’s experience with public shaming directly influenced the show’s focus on what happens after the verdict—rebuilding a life with a public shadow.
• This is a conversation about narrative ethics, trauma, and the ongoing impact of notorious cases on all involved.