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Podcast remark sparks backlash
A racial stereotype attributed to Jeff Metcalf resurfaced after Karmelo Anthony was found guilty and sentenced to 35 years in prison for murdering 17-year-old Austin Metcalf in 2025, with a video circulating online in mid-June 2026 purportedly showing Jeff Metcalf calling Anthony a "watermelon felon."
Snopes reported that Metcalf did call Anthony a "watermelon felon" during a three-hour interview on the "JinxedSip" podcast on June 10, 2026, where he said, "Let me make something racist up so you all can go viral."
Snopes also said it found no indication the video was generated using artificial intelligence software, and that it determined social media users correctly attributed the phrase to him.
The Associated Press, as cited by Snopes, reported that lawyers for the defense and prosecution told jurors the case had nothing to do with race, while Metcalf’s father previously denounced those who sought to stoke racial divisions over his son's death.
Judge defends sentence
In Texas, Judge John Roach Jr. defended the controversial 35-year sentence, telling a local TV station he thinks the jury reached the correct verdict and that he can sleep "well at night."
Forbes reported that Roach said Anthony "seems like a nice young man who committed a crime and he understands today more than any day before the consequences of committing a crime like he did."
The sentencing followed a trial in which Anthony was found guilty of murder after he fatally stabbed Austin Metcalf, a white teenager, at a track meet when both boys were 17 years old.
Forbes said the prosecution claimed in opening statements that the case "has nothing to do with race," while Metcalf’s father disavowed those who focused on race as a contributing factor, and criticism poured in from figures including rapper Cardi B and Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas.
Appeals, protests, and pressure
Following the sentencing, Snopes said Anthony has appealed his 35-year prison sentence, according to court records, while CBS News reported that Anthony’s parents told the network they believed his trial was unfair from the start and would file an appeal.
Snopes reported that Hayes said, "My son didn't intend to hurt anyone. My son was defending himself, and that's what hurts so bad."
Forbes described a wave of reactions outside the Collin County Courthouse Tuesday, including a grandmother, Toni Hayes, filmed shouting “Racist! Bias!” out of her car window as she left the courthouse.
Forbes also said civil rights activist Dominique Alexander told the verdict showed “Black lives do not matter in Collin County,” while the Collin County NAACP posted on Facebook questioning “fairness, representation, and confidence in our justice system" and why there were no Black people on the jury.
