Cardi B is criticizing the Texas legal system after a teenager was sentenced to 35 years in prison for a fatal stabbing. The music superstar took to social media Wednesday to voice her disapproval of the punishment handed down to Karmelo Anthony, calling the lengthy term excessive for the young defendant.
Anthony, a Texas teenager, was recently convicted in the 2025 killing of fellow student Austin Metcalf. The case, which drew significant local attention over the past year, concluded with a jury deciding on a multi-decade sentence that sparked immediate debate online regarding juvenile justice and sentencing reform.
The rapper shared her blunt reaction with her tens of millions of followers on X, formerly known as Twitter. Cardi B expressed that the court’s decision felt more like a performance than a fair application of the law. “Wow! Just freakin wow! DISGUSTING,” the artist wrote in her post. “This is not justice, this is trying to make an example!!!”
Wow! Just freakin wow! DISGUSTING… This is not justice, this is trying to make an example!!!
— Cardi B (@iamcardib) June 10, 2026
The 2025 incident involved a physical altercation between Anthony and Metcalf that turned deadly. While prosecutors argued for a stern sentence to reflect the loss of life, supporters of the teenager have argued that the court failed to account for his age and the circumstances surrounding the conflict. The case has become a flashpoint for discussions on whether the justice system treats young minority defendants more harshly.
Cardi B’s comments suggest she believes the 35-year sentence was intentionally harsh to serve as a deterrent to others, rather than a proportional response to the crime committed.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the rapper’s post had garnered over 78,000 likes and thousands of retweets, further amplifying the national conversation surrounding the Anthony trial and the future of sentencing for Texas youth.
