The news spread like wildfire. It was impossible to ignore, and within minutes allegations against rising artist D4vd surfaced online. Fan communities once buzzing with excitement over his music are now stunned with the claims shadowing his career.
There are few artists that have captured the attention of young listeners like D4vd. From viral hits streaming across TikTok to full-length albums climbing charts, his music resonated with a generation who’s glued to playlists and social media. His songs often blended raw emotion and catchy hooks.
The Timeline
On Aug. 5, 2025 D4vd began his ‘Withered World Tour’ to promote his debut studio album. His album “Withered” was released April 25. His tour was ultimately canceled due to ongoing investigations after the body of 15-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez was found Sept. 8 inside a plastic bag in an impounded Tesla trunk registered under D4vd’s name, David Anthony Burke. She was reported missing in April of 2024. Celeste Rivas’s cause of death has yet to be determined by medical examiners, but the investigation has been categorized as a homicide.
The Tesla was impounded in a Hollywood impound lot at the beginning of September after receiving a parking violation Sept. 3 along with multiple complaints from Bluebird Avenue residents according to the LA Times. The street where the car was located is near D4vd’s rented home. Shortly after being impounded the car was reported missing on Sept. 6 but returned to the lot before Sept. 8, it is currently unclear exactly when and how. The morning of Sept. 8 a tow yard worker reported an odd smell coming from the location near the car, which was later uncovered as human remains in the trunk of the Tesla. D4vd has been reportedly cooperating with authorities on this situation.
According to the LA Times, the victim’s body was found severely decomposed at 71 pounds and had a tattoo with the word, “Shhh” on her index finger. As news spread online, there were speculations that the artist had relations with the victim. Fans connected that D4vd also had the same tattoo on his index finger.
Social media platforms such as TikTok, Twitter and Reddit have had fans diving into the case. These fan-led investigations have led to the resurface of videos and photos of D4vd with the victim. One video in particular was live and was allegedly recorded in the beginning of 2024. There has also been unconfirmed evidence of messages sent on D4vd’s discord server ‘D4vd’s Closet’ by Celeste Rivas and D4vd signifying they were staying together. The pair allegedly had met when Celeste Rivas was around 12 years old and started a relationship soon afterwards. Speculations have begun on social media that the artist had relations with a 23-year-old woman also named Celeste unrelated to the 15-year-old victim. There had been a leak of an unreleased song sung by D4vd about a girl named Celeste toward the end of 2023, but went viral again amid investigations. The song was titled ‘Celeste_Demo unfin’ according to iHeart. It is uncertain whether it is about the victim or the alleged 23-year-old woman which has caused divided opinions on D4vd’s innocence.
In some of D4vd’s most popular music videos released on his YouTube page, online investigating pages have connected the dark depictions in his videos to the victim’s death. Many have noted how similar the women who appear in his music videos look like Celeste Rivas. The lyrics often are related to love and loss which appeal to the teenage audience. The evidence found by fans is yet to be officially confirmed by authorities.
The Los Angeles Police Department searched D4vd’s home for possible connections to Celeste Rivas on Sept. 17 after obtaining a warrant. Following the search, movers were seen reportedly moving boxes and other belongings into a truck from the artist’s Hollywood Hills rental on Sept. 19 amid the investigation according to FOX 11 Los Angeles. On the same day his world tour dates were cancelled.
On Sept. 23 Celeste Rivas’s remains were returned to her family in Lake Elsinore, California. As her whole community mourns losing her, the world still has questions lying about the mysteries surrounding her death.
Fan Reactions
“I listened to Romantic Homicide or the song by Kali Uchis and him,” senior Neydi Galvan Guerrero said. “Just because of the vibe of it, he had a certain vibe that no other artist has. I feel like he would’ve filled up stadiums. At like a good 60,000.”
Before the news of a body was found, D4vd performed in Austin a few weeks prior for his ‘Withered World Tour’ promoting his new album ‘Withered’. For many, it was a night they had imagined for months. It was a chance to see their favorite songs come alive. Fans cheered and sang along as the beat echoed through the building.
“It was fun and I went by myself,” senior Lusiano Hernandez said. “Yes, it was good. He’s a good performer. Someone even gave him a D4vd Labubu.”
According to the timeline of events, Rivas’ body was discovered while D4vd was on his ‘Withered World Tour’. The news was shared across fan accounts and news outlets and quickly went viral. As his streaming numbers fluctuated, fan’s perception of the artist was challenged.
“I was baffled. I was genuinely surprised because I was like ‘what do you mean?’” Guerrero said. “And I didn’t think it was true because you know, I saw it on Twitter, I was like, they like to lie a lot on there. So I just checked my other resources. Then I was like, no, it’s true. I just felt like I’ve been lied to. You would never think somebody like that would have done such a thing.”
Students who supported him tried to make sense of the allegations. Videos on social media vary from both defending and condemning the artist. The unconfirmed evidence in the ‘D4vd’s Closet’ discord server shows fans speaking of an alleged girlfriend of D4vd’s by the name of Celeste. Students began rethinking D4vd’s character from his interaction with fans.
“He was unapologetically himself,” Hernandez said. “He was interesting, he was funny and now he’s a monster. I said he didn’t do it until a week ago, two weeks ago. He did it. The matching tattoos, the pictures together and those DMs [direct messages]. Those DMs on Discord.”
As news trickled out more, fans on social media took action by starting their own investigations on the connection of the victim and D4vd. They’ve found unconfirmed evidence that the two knew each other well. This sparked reactions from shock to skepticism.
“I think he did it. I feel like he should be in prison,” Guerrero said. “The Tesla and the matching tattoo. The song that he made about her, Celeste. That isn’t right.”
Some of D4vd’s most popular songs center on a figure fan speculations believe it’s connected to the victim found deceased in his car. It transformed the songs from catchy tracks into something more unsettling.
“I don’t believe in separating the art from the artist because you’re still supporting them,” Hernandez said. “You could separate the art from the artist, but it’s also hard because his music is about her [Celeste Rivas]. I don’t listen to him anymore. He’s out of my playlist, out of my library. Out of the picture is what he is.”
The music videos often depict dark and abstract themes. They are used as a narrating tool often telling stories with gloomy visuals which the fan speculations link with a possible inspiration behind his work.
“I used to cry to his songs. All of them,” senior Kennedy Johnson said. “Notes From a Wrist and 2016 is so good. Listening to his songs and thinking about it, like, now that we know what he’s done, sounds crazy. But some of them are actually just good.”
As the mystery around the untimely death of the victim continues, support for D4vd has gone down. His world tour has been cancelled following further backlash and moved out of his home in Los Angeles amid homicide investigation. However, D4vd has not been named a suspect in the Celeste Rivas case.
“Since Kali Uchis says she’s gonna delete the collaboration [with D4vd],” Guerrero said. “She did not want to be associated with that and I feel like I shouldn’t either. Those are some pretty big allegations. Some people say separate the artist from the song but I feel like in those songs he’s expressing his feelings. And his feelings are not the best at the moment.”
According to the New York Post, D4vd has reportedky hired Blair Berk, one of Harvey Weinstein’s former lawyers, as police continue to investigate this case. LAPD says no suspects or persons of interest are being pursued at this stage.