The case of Celeste Rivas Hernandez has already horrified the nation, centered on the chilling discovery of a child’s decomposing body in the trunk of a luxury vehicle belonging to rising music star David Anthony Burke, better known to his fans as D4vd. Yet, just as the public struggled to process the sheer horror of the crime scene, a new bombshell report has emerged, adding a devastating, tragic layer to the narrative: the world around the young singer believed his underage victim was his girlfriend.

This stunning revelation, sourced from multiple friends of David Anthony Burke who spoke to TMZ, finally disposes of the intense speculation that has shrouded the case. Up until now, there was no definitive, public proof that the 20-year-old singer was in a romantic relationship with Celeste, who was only 14. But according to the new reporting, multiple members of Burke’s close-knit Los Angeles music scene circle were “under the impression” that he and Celeste were indeed a romantic couple.

The emotional gut-punch of this finding is compounded by the core deceit at the heart of the tragedy: David’s friends universally believed Celeste Rivas Hernandez was a 19-year-old college student, with some even specifically citing that she attended USC. This testimony confirms not only a romantic link but the devastating power of the façade the child victim was forced, or enabled, to maintain.

The Anatomy of a Heartbreaking Deception

The central question surrounding Celeste’s brief, tragic life was always how a 14-year-old child could navigate the adult, often age-restricted, world of the Los Angeles music scene. The new reports provide a grim answer. David’s friends were convinced of her adult status because they saw her at events where there were explicit age restrictions—clubs, parties, and industry hangouts where one needed to be at least 18 or 21 to gain entry.

This belief was not accidental. Law enforcement sources have confirmed that Celeste Rivas Hernandez was in possession of several fake IDs. This detail paints a heartbreaking picture of a child—perhaps searching for acceptance, perhaps coerced, or perhaps simply lost—who was actively creating a completely false identity to live a life she was not developmentally or legally prepared for. She successfully presented herself as a 19-year-old woman, convincing a network of adults, including the social circle of a successful, up-and-coming artist.

The timeline of their association adds a chilling dimension. While David’s friends, many of whom were newer acquaintances who knew him from his recent explosion in popularity, had only known Celeste for the past couple of years, this meant they began seeing her around the age of 12. If the connection began even earlier, she would have been a middle or even elementary school-aged child when she first started entering this orbit. The idea that a child so young was actively integrated into an adult music scene, constantly present in the company of a much older figure, under the mistaken impression she was a young adult, is a profound societal failure.

The Duality of the Star: Gentle Soul, Grizzly Secret

The reaction from David Anthony Burke’s peers and friends is one of profound, utter shock. They describe the singer, celebrated for his soft-spoken demeanor and sensitive music, as an inherently “gentle person” and “very shy.” The notion that he is even remotely connected to a “grizzly murder” is something they struggle to comprehend, a horrifying clash between the public persona and the grotesque reality discovered in his vehicle.

Yet, despite the friends’ strong assertions about his gentle character, the central, inescapable fact remains: Celeste’s remains were found in the trunk of his Tesla. The shock of his peers, while genuine, cannot erase the forensic reality of his car’s involvement. This incident exposes a terrifying duality often hidden beneath the polished surface of celebrity: a successful, seemingly kind individual whose private life became inextricably linked to a horrific crime involving a child victim who was living a lie.

His supportive family, described as conservative and deeply involved in his career since the beginning, is now grappling with the impossible questions raised by this connection. The shame, the confusion, and the public scrutiny are an immense burden on a family that was, until recently, celebrating their son’s artistic success.

Life in the Shadows: The Missing Child

The new information paints a clearer, yet deeply disturbing, portrait of Celeste’s final years. She was reportedly seen constantly with David, always by his side, almost mirroring his quiet, shy nature. She “seemed to follow” him in everything he did. Crucially, she was not attending school, suggesting a life disconnected from the structure and protection of a child’s world. She was living full-time in the shadow of a lie.

Reports that Celeste may have been living full-time in David’s Hollywood Hills mansion add another chilling layer to the narrative. While neighbors could not recall seeing her face specifically, the possibility that she was a resident of the home in the weeks leading up to her discovery suggests an immense level of isolation and control. Her background, her family life, and her personal situation were apparently not topics of conversation in David’s social circle. People simply “take somebody at their word” in the high-speed, surface-level world of LA celebrity culture, failing to unpack the background of the “college student” who was always present but rarely spoke of home.

The Legal Limbo and the Hunt for Answers

As of now, David Anthony Burke has not been named a person of interest in the murder. However, the connection—his vehicle being the resting place of a deceased child with whom he was romantically linked—is enough to make his current status highly precarious. The singer, who is originally from Texas and has homes there, has gone into hiding. There have been no confirmed sightings, and it remains unclear whether he has cooperated with police or offered any information that might shed light on how Celeste’s body ended up in his car.

The police investigation is now intensely focused on his social circle. While one friend admitted to not being interviewed personally, they conceded that others in the group were likely being questioned, as police leave “no stone unturned” in piecing together this horrific case. The hope is that the police have a handle on his location, as the complexity of the crime, the victim’s age, and the star’s sudden disappearance only intensify the public demand for answers.

The tragedy serves as a brutal indictment of an environment where a child can successfully mask her age with the aid of fake IDs, where adults fail to question her presence in restricted spaces, and where the seductive lure of the music scene eclipses basic safety and vigilance. The story of Celeste Rivas Hernandez is a devastating reminder that the quiet, gentle façade of a public figure can hide an unimaginable, grizzly secret, and that the cost of deception, particularly where vulnerable children are concerned, can be fatal. The shocking truth of their romantic link, fueled by a tragic lie about her age, has now cemented this case as a devastating example of modern tragedy.