Texts between singer D4vd and Celeste Rivas Hernandez, the 14-year-old he is accused of murdering, reveal she had been pregnant and had undergone an abortion prior to her death, according to prosecutors. The messages were shown during a hearing to determine if the singer, whose legal name is David Anthony Burke, should stand trial for the teen's death.
In exchanges presented in Los Angeles court, Celeste, then 13, texted Burke in June 2024 about a pregnancy. "What [if] the first abortion didn't work?" she asked, according to prosecutors. Burke, who was 19 at the time, has pleaded not guilty to charges of murder and sexually abusing the girl. Prosecutors allege Burke killed Hernandez after she threatened to expose his alleged abuse of a minor and potentially derail his career.
In January 2024, Burke apologized to the teen for "putting her through this," according to messages shown in court. Hernandez responded, "neither of us are capable of watching and taking care of the baby. it's for the best no?" Burke then asked, "also my mother always told me to ask this question if I was ever in this situation … it is mine right?" Hernandez replied, "of course its yours David," a detective testified. Another text from Burke in June 2024 read, "Let's let this abortion be the last one til we have the real one…"
Prosecutors presented iCloud data recovered from Burke's iPhone, showing text exchanges between him and Hernandez dating back to August 2022, when she was 11 and he was 17. D4vd, who gained fame on TikTok for songs like "Romantic Homicide" and "Here With Me," was on tour when police discovered Hernandez's body in the front of his Tesla in September 2025, the day after she would have turned 15. His tour was canceled, and he largely withdrew from public life.
Police announced Burke's arrest in April 2026. Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman filed seven criminal charges against him, including murder, continuous sexual abuse of a child, and mutilation of remains. Authorities stated that Hernandez was reported missing by her family and was last seen at Burke's Hollywood Hills home on April 3, 2025, five months before her remains were found in the vehicle. Prosecutors allege Burke met Hernandez online when she was 11 and began abusing her when she was 13 and he was 18.