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Cardi B slams 'disgusting' Karmelo Anthony conviction: 'This is not justice'
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Cardi B has spoken out after Karmelo Anthony was convicted of murder and sentenced to 35 years in prison for the fatal stabbing of Texas teenager Austin Metcalf.
The 33-year-old rapper shared her reaction shortly after a Collin County jury delivered its verdict on June 9, finding Anthony guilty over the death of Metcalf during a confrontation at a Frisco track meet in April 2025.
Taking to X, Cardi wrote: "Wow! Just freakin wow! DISGUSTING… This is not justice, this is trying to make an example!!!"
She later expanded on her views during a Spaces conversation, where she questioned both the verdict and the length of Anthony's sentence.
Cardi B says both families have suffered
Anthony and Metcalf were both 17 years old when the incident took place.
During the discussion, Cardi said she felt sympathy for both families involved, arguing that while Austin's parents had "lost a child," Anthony's parents had "lost a child to the system," per BET.
The Grammy-winning artist described Anthony as someone who came from a supportive family and said his emotional reactions after the stabbing and during sentencing did not match someone she believed acted with murderous intent.
She also argued that the sentence was too severe. Cardi said manslaughter would have been a more appropriate charge because she did not believe there was evidence of premeditation, calling the 35-year sentence "extremely excessive" for a teenager with no prior criminal record.
Race and self-defense at the center of debate
The rapper also addressed race while discussing the case. "If Anthony was white and he was surrounded by a whole bunch of Black football players and two twins, the case would have went extremely different," she said.
She added: "I sure learned something from this. I learned to tell my sons: do not argue with no white boys, 'cuz baby ain't no law protecting you if something goes down with them."
Cardi also argued Anthony had been acting in self-defense. "He was surrounded, he was protecting himself. Austin was twice his size," she said.
She further questioned whether the confrontation could have been avoided, suggesting a coach should have been brought in to handle the situation.
The jury reached a guilty verdict
Throughout the trial, prosecutors argued that Anthony unnecessarily escalated a dispute that began beneath a team tent during the track meet before using deadly force.
Defense attorneys maintained that Anthony feared for his safety and acted in self-defense when the encounter became physical.
As public discussion intensified, Austin's father, Jeff Metcalf, urged people not to turn the tragedy into a racial issue.
"This was not a race thing. This is not a political thing. Please do not comment if you do not know what happened," he previously said. "This is a human being thing. This person made a bad choice and it affected both his family and my family forever."
Following the verdict, Anthony reportedly broke down in tears as deputies took him into custody.
His parents, Kala Hayes and Andrew, were also visibly emotional in court.
Before sentencing, Hayes pleaded with jurors for mercy. "Please have mercy on my son. He's my oldest. He'll always be my baby. I love him very much," she said.
She added: "I know my son, he's very sorry for what he did."
Family's emotional victim impact statements
Metcalf's father addressed Anthony directly. "You're going to prison. You can't even look me in the eyes right now, but you can stab my f***ing son in the heart," he said.
"People think that grief is sadness but it's not," he continued. "It's rage. Pure unfiltered rage."
"You're free to make choices all you want, but you're not free from those consequences. You will face those consequences starting today," the father said. "You failed your parents, you failed yourself and you failed society. You don't belong in this community."
Austin's twin brother Hunter also spoke directly to Anthony. "If you could just look me in the eyes while I speak, I would really respect that," he said.
"You let the devil take over in that moment. Eventually your name will be forgotten, but my brother's memory will live on," he said. "You took a son, a brother, a friend, and my best friend from this world."
Austin's mother, Meghan, added: "You may have just been given a sentence of 35 years behind bars, but you can consider yourself lucky because I've been sentenced to a lifetime without my son."
Anthony is currently serving his sentence and could become eligible for parole after serving half of his 35-year prison term under Texas law.
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