Hayden Panettiere Knows Amanda Knox Is Innocent

Hayden Panettiere has weighed in on the Amanda Knox case, saying of the controversial convict, “she didn’t have any intention to do this.” Why? Panettiere’s playing Knox on Lifetime.

The actress says she hasn’t come down on Knox’s guilt, but admires her spirit. Quoth she,

It’s one of those stories, which is why it’s so compelling and why I was so interested in playing it. We spent five weeks talking about it and reading about it and looking at new evidence, trying to form some sort of opinion about it. And it’s like ‘She’s innocent. She’s guilty. She’s innocent. She’s guilty. She’s innocent’. I can’t say I have an opinion and that’s why the story is so interesting – the facts and what people said and the changes in stories. It really all comes together to form this incredible story that I think people are really genuinely interested and curious in.

And here’s the part that’s apparently ruffled feathers

I believe in the person that she deep down was. And I think that no matter, regardless of innocent or guilty, I believe she was a… she has a spirit. You know, she’s a real person. She was a young girl who had dreams and aspirations and was going to Italy to go to school and to broaden her horizons and have experiences and meet new people. And I don’t think that guilty or innocent takes away from that. This is such a vulnerable story, and specifically, Amanda was so needy. My job was to play a girl who, regardless of what happened, was innocent in who she was. She’s not a malicious girl. She didn’t have any intention to do this. This wasn’t an angry or dark girl. Whatever it was that happened that night, people’s lives were ruined. But it was my job to stay pretty true to form in who she seemed to be as a person in court and otherwise.

Of Victim Meredith Kercher‘s family, Panettiere says, “I think, I hope, the family aren’t upset about the way it was put together.” Yeah, no such luck. In fact, Knox’s family is none too thrilled by the lurid film, either — in which the sexual assault and murder are portrayed — and which they’re hoping to postpone until after her appeal. Panettiere may find it a “riveting” story, but my guess is neither family will be tuning into Television for Women that particular evening. They’re living it every day.