Did Cardi B Fund Karmelo Anthony’s Appeal? Rapper’s Comments After His Prison Sentence Spark Strong Online Debate
Cardi B reacted strongly after Karmelo Anthony was sentenced to 35 years in prison for the 2025 killing of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf, calling the jury’s decision “disgusting” and sparking widespread online debate.
Anthony, 19, was convicted of murder after a fatal stabbing during a high school track meet in Frisco, Texas. He had argued that he acted in self-defense following a confrontation under a tent, but jurors rejected that claim after deliberation and returned a guilty verdict.
Following the sentencing, Cardi B posted on X, writing: “Wow! Just freakin wow! DISGUSTING… This is not justice, this is trying to make an example!!!”
She also reposted several messages supporting Anthony, including one stating he “deserves better,” and another claiming that media coverage had contributed to “character assassination” against him.
There are no confirmed reports that Cardi B donated to any fundraising campaign linked to Anthony, despite widespread public fundraising efforts that had previously raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for his defense before being taken down after the conviction.
During an X Spaces discussion on June 10, Cardi said she understood the pain experienced by both families, noting that while the Metcalf family “lost a child,” Anthony’s family also “lost a child to the system.”
She also suggested that race played a role in how the case was perceived, saying, “In this situation, it really is a race thing because I am pretty sure, I’m 100% sure, especially in Texas, this happens a lot in Texas—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,” said.
Cardi further questioned the scenario that led to the confrontation, adding, “I highly doubt that Anthony went over there by himself to a tent full of strong ass football players [saying], ‘Yeah, I’m going to cause a ruckus because I have a knife on me.’”
She also commented on responsibility during conflicts, saying, “What do they tell us in school? If you have an issue with somebody: go to a teacher, go to an adult.” She added, “But Austin took [it] into his hands to get aggressive with Anthony.”
At the same time, she acknowledged that even provocation does not justify violence, stating, “Now in life, something that I have to learn, just because somebody provoke you … If you put your hands on them, it’s still wrong.”
Cardi also raised concerns about the jury’s decision-making process, arguing that they could have considered a lesser charge. “They had the option of giving him manslaughter because clearly this wasn’t planned to be murder. They just probably feel like, ‘You know what? We hungry, we tired, I ain’t trying to come back tomorrow. Here’s what it is.’ No thought, no care, no nothing,” she said.
She further described the 35-year sentence as excessive, adding, “35 years I really feel like is excessive, extremely excessive,” she said.
In another livestream comment, Cardi reflected on how the case shaped her view of self-defense laws. “This is America,” Cardi said in her livestream. “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 … Just walk away.”
Anthony has since been transferred to a Texas prison and filed a notice of appeal following his conviction, according to court records. The case continues to fuel heated debate online over self-defense, sentencing, and race.
