In the past year, D4VD, born David Anthony Burke, had been swiftly ascending from a TikTok sensation to a burgeoning mainstream artist. His debut album, “Withered,” had nearly cracked the top 10 on the charts in April, and he’d graced national television with a performance on Jimmy Kimmel. Rubbing shoulders with industry giants like SZA, Billie Eilish, Pharrell, Benny Blanco, and Lil Yachty, D4VD seemed poised for global recognition. His unique sound, which began as mere soundtracks for his Fortnite gaming videos, had evolved into something substantial, culminating in the viral success of tracks like “Romantic Homicide.” Yet, this promising trajectory has been brutally derailed by a revelation far darker than any chord he ever struck, a tragedy that has cast a long, sinister shadow over his career and reputation.

The entire planet now knows D4VD for something far more sinister. With his list of famous collaborators and over 36 million monthly listeners on Spotify, the music world is grappling with the possibility that this rising star might be a deeply disturbed individual. A shocking discovery has changed everything: it appears that not one, but two lives, in different senses, may have been irrevocably altered. More than a week ago, a body was found inside an impounded Tesla registered to the singer, who performs under the stage name D4VD. Los Angeles investigators have since identified the remains as 15-year-old Celeste Rivas, a girl reported missing last year. The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the identification, plunging D4VD’s world into what is now being ominously referred to as “The Horror of the D4VD Files.”
Before ever picking up a microphone, David Anthony Burke harbored dreams of becoming a professional gamer and streamer, once ranking among the top Fortnite players globally. His foray into music was initially purely functional—to create background scores for his gameplay. However, this casual pursuit blossomed into something far greater. He meticulously refined his sound, eventually releasing “Romantic Homicide,” the very track that launched him into the stratosphere of success. David himself reflected on the unique creation of “Romantic Homicide,” noting it was the only song he’d ever made where the entire lead vocal and background harmonies were completed in a single take, improvised from the moment he heard the initial melody. “I’m scared,” were the first words he uttered, setting the tone for a song that felt like a pure flow state. The production process, he explained, was deceptively simple: layering vocals, pitching them up, and releasing the track—often right after school, amidst a pile of assignments.

“Romantic Homicide” was a dense and dark composition, a stark departure from his earlier work. Its themes were so intense that even his mother expressed reservations. David recounted her reaction: “She was like, ‘David, this song is too violent. You talking about killing people in your music?’ ‘No, not my son.’” But for David, his mother’s disapproval was often a sign of impending success. “Whenever my mom hates something, I know it’s cool,” he quipped. He released the song, and it indeed went “crazy,” going TikTok viral and amassing a million views overnight. “Oh yeah, we cooking, boy, we cooking boy,” he recalled thinking. Yet, in the chilling light of recent events, many can’t help but wonder if his mother’s initial instincts were a foreboding glimpse into a darker future, especially considering he reportedly dropped this track on Celeste Rivas’s birthday. Listening to the song now, with the weight of the unfolding tragedy, feels like standing in the middle of a crime scene.

The horrifying core of this twisted tale began with a foul stench emanating from the back of an impounded Tesla. Workers on the lot dedicated to the vehicle’s storage discovered possible human remains after detectives responded. A spokesperson for the LAPD confirmed it was a death investigation. The body, badly decomposed and dismembered, appeared to have been deceased inside the vehicle for an extended period. Police noted the victim was wearing a tube top and black leggings, size small. Despite the grim state of the remains, the girl was identified by her mother, who, when questioned, promptly revealed her daughter had a boyfriend named David. Soon, the vehicle was linked to D4VD, the gamer turned singer who had recently contributed to the soundtrack for Netflix’s “Arcane.”

Initially, the news that an impounded car registered to D4VD, who was on tour at the time, had been found with human remains was shocking but not necessarily career-ending. There could have been a rational explanation. However, everything changed when the victim’s identity was made public. Celeste Rivas Hernandez, a 14-year-old girl who had been missing since May 2024, was identified. For over a year, Celeste had been absent from her family home in Lake Elsinore, with missing posters pleading for information on her whereabouts. While neither the police nor her family seemed to know where she was, the public now suspects that D4VD knew all along. Disturbingly, he continued to push his career forward, conducting interviews just 18 days after Celeste was officially declared missing, seemingly without a care in the world.
Looking back, both fans and those who only became aware of him after Celeste’s discovery are horrified by what now appear to be overt hints from D4VD about both his unsavory relationship with a minor and her death. Among the most cited examples is a scene from a music video depicting a body being placed into a trunk. Even more damning were instances of what some describe as “exemplary self-snitching” in leaked tracks. One such track hinted at withholding information about a woman’s murder: “I’d spoken too soon in the back of a police car, I forgot what I knew.” Another, from 2023, allegedly mentioned Celeste by name: “Oh Celeste, the girl with my name tattooed on her chest. Smell her clothes on my clothes like cigarettes. I hear her voice each time I take a breath, I’m obsessed.” The lyrics continue, “Oh Celeste, afraid you will only love me when undressed, but you look so damn gorgeous in that dress. Missing you so much makes me depressed, but I digress.” The chilling aspect is that this was reportedly recorded in 2023, meaning Celeste would have been at most 12 or 13 at the time, rendering the tone of the lyrics utterly repugnant.

Even as the news broke, David continued his “Withered” world tour, performing for fans in a way that, in retrospect, seems both leering and creepy, given the alleged appetites now revealed. His stage setup even included a casket and opportunities for fans to write letters to the deceased. While these elements might have been mere theatrics at the time, they take on a disturbing significance in light of current events. After initially attempting to persevere as if nothing was amiss, D4VD’s hand was eventually forced. He paused his tour following the official identification of Celeste, which transpired after her mother pointed out a matching “sh” tattoo on their fingers. While not an uncommon tattoo, the secret nature of their alleged relationship lends it a far darker interpretation, especially considering Celeste was not old enough to legally get a tattoo.

As the disturbing connections between D4VD and Celeste became glaringly apparent, the LAPD seized his computer and various bags of evidence from his home. The computer, in particular, is considered vital, as it appears D4VD had been incriminating himself online for a significant period before the tragedy came to light. Leaked messages from D4VD’s dedicated Discord server reveal that Celeste, under the username “celestine,” was a member. Shockingly, their relationship seemed to be flaunted within this online space: “He has a GF, her name is Celeste.” This public knowledge within his online community fuels the agonizing question of whether this whole tragic situation could have been averted. Users even actively referenced her once-mysterious fate, with one message from August 2024 stating, “Drop the one with the missing girl Celeste Rivas Hernandez.”

There were moments when D4VD seemingly tried to protect his public image. A video of him and Celeste showed him consciously attempting to cover his tracks. At one point during a livestream, Celeste even reportedly called him out as a “PDF” (a derogatory term implying pedophilia). The stream ended abruptly with David frantically shouting, “Delete everything! Delete, delete everything! Everything goes!” With Celeste no longer here, exact details of their relationship remain elusive, but all current evidence points to a deeply inappropriate bond that may have led her to run away from home. Text messages, allegedly from Celeste’s sister, support this, showing her sister asking, “Are you still going to talk to David or go back with him? I don’t want you to get into any more trouble.” Even more disturbingly, a message from D4VD in his Discord, “Me and deleted user got a kid on the way,” has led to speculation that Celeste might have been pregnant.

While D4VD coveted his position in the limelight, his chat logs paint a picture of a troubled individual behind the scenes. Messages like “Gore better than corn, I used to be addicted to watching gore vids” have surfaced. Now, every aspect of his life, from his “bloody shirt” merchandise to his song lyrics, is being re-evaluated under a terrifying new lens. The circumstances surrounding Celeste’s discovery are also raising serious questions. D4VD’s Tesla was reportedly repossessed on September 8th, while his tour began on August 5th. The car was said to have been sitting for over 30 days before repossession. He allegedly reported it missing in between these dates. Many find it perplexing that he would report a Tesla missing when the company’s vehicles are equipped with tracking capabilities. This timeline and his actions simply “don’t make sense,” according to online commentators.

The news of Celeste’s passing has left many who had seen them together grappling with a profound sense of guilt, believing this tragedy could have been prevented. A former jewelry shop employee recalled seeing Celeste and D4VD together in April 2024. The employee recognized D4VD as a popular singer and noted that Celeste, who was “very obviously younger than him” and “very high” and “out of it,” stuck in their memory. The employee instantly recognized Celeste’s picture when it was released to the public and expressed immense sadness and horror at the discovery of her dismembered body in D4VD’s trunk. “There is a lot of questions around this and a lot of unanswered questions, so please find answers,” they pleaded.

It appears D4VD went to extreme lengths to conceal his alleged relationship, even reportedly using financial resources to keep his “sick bond” a secret. A high school student claimed that D4VD was dating an eighth grader (now a ninth grader) and took her on trips to Los Angeles. Celeste’s friends allegedly knew about the relationship and were reportedly paid to keep quiet. This claim of D4VD using money to suppress information has been echoed by others, including an Instagram user who stated that D4VD told them he “gave someone in [redacted] money because he was with a minor and showed me a picture of it too.”

Amidst the mounting screenshots and chat logs, D4VD is now attempting to sever ties with Celeste from the public eye, even reportedly removing his name from a shared playlist they had collaborated on. However, others are shedding light on how long the two had been linked. An insider from his gaming days revealed that D4VD had known Celeste since she was 10, having met her through Fortnite in 2021. “Everyone in the team knew about her and he would joke about it and brush it off every time it got mentioned,” the insider stated, adding that a friend claimed Celeste would joke about a sexual relationship, though it was unclear if it was true. Cryptic tweets from D4VD also seem to allude to actively preventing someone from returning to their family: “When I was writing this, I got a noty from you as you were talking about wanting to be with your mom and sister again… our circumstances won’t allow us to be in our ideal situations.”

The public condemnation has been swift and severe. “Yeah, it’s over bro, pack it all up, you are sick,” one comment read. The initial signs of his downfall are already apparent. D4VD has canceled the European and UK dates of his “Withered” tour, the deluxe version of the album has been shelved, and Hollister has removed his images from their site. Kali Uchis, who collaborated with him, promptly pulled their song, declaring, “Not my friend, I did a song with him which is currently in the process of being taken down given today’s disturbing news.”

Now, others who encountered him are coming forward. One individual claimed to have known about D4VD’s alleged actions since 2023, initially dismissing it as a misunderstanding, but now finding it all makes sense. They recounted how D4VD would ignore most of his male audience and friends, even unfollowing them, but would readily engage with “a 15-year-old, 14-year-old girl, underage girl.” They claim to have evidence, including pictures and screenshots from 2023. Even one of Celeste’s teachers divulged that they had heard rumors. The teacher recognized Celeste from their classroom and recalled her meeting a rapper on social media. Celeste ran away from home, was found by police in Hollywood, and returned to school, only to disappear again in May 2024. Her friends later told the teacher about a rapper and alleged blackmail, and then came the horrifying news: Celeste was found dead and dismembered in that rapper’s car.

Celeste’s brother, Matthew, has been sharing evidence, claiming they intended to marry, aligning with shots from her Instagram stories where she appeared to be flaunting an engagement ring. For many, this is all the proof needed to declare D4VD a monster, even before considering a possible second victim named Gus, who is also allegedly deceased. As news of D4VD’s alleged heinous acts circulates, the industry is turning on him. Voices like academics are even suggesting that other big names might harbor similar skeletons in their closets, with one individual claiming to know “three Chicago rappers y’all might consider legends” who engaged in similar behavior but were never reported. This sentiment was echoed by 6ix9ine, who has his own past charges, claiming that a certain “infamous meme turned rapper” was “passed around the industry” while underage.

The critical question remains: if these things are such open secrets, why are people tolerating them? If they weren’t, tragedies like this might be avoided, and dangerous individuals wouldn’t be given the opportunity to exploit vulnerable children. Because no matter what anyone defending him says, Celeste was a child. The bizarre twist in this grim tale is that, in the wake of news that he was allegedly in a relationship with a child, D4VD’s track has become the “biggest gainer in the world on Spotify.”

Ultimately, while the police have not yet made any arrests or officially listed any suspects, the internet has largely condemned D4VD. His world is crumbling around him, and if the allegations prove true, it will be difficult to feel any empathy for him. Whatever the outcome, it appears his time in the limelight, or being known for anything other than his alleged actions, is over. This is a stark contrast to his past ambitions of making a fortune, retiring in five years, and living “off the grid” on an island with no social media presence. Granted, he might still find himself “off the grid,” but likely in a jail cell rather than the life of luxury he had envisioned. Rest in peace, Celeste.