In brief
The Los Angeles pre‑trial hearing revealed 15 months of text exchanges between singer D4vd (David Burke) and teenage victim Celeste Rivas Hernandez, indicating she had been pregnant and had abortions. These messages, recovered from iCloud, shed light on their relationship that began when she was 11 and he 17. Prosecutors argue that the singer killed her after she threatened to expose his abuse. The case continues to probe how the death was concealed and the legal ramifications involve murder and sexual‑abuse charges.
WARNING: Readers may find details in this article distressing.
Texts between singer D4vd and Celeste Rivas Hernandez, the 14‑year‑old he is accused of murdering, reveal she had been pregnant and had an abortion before her death.
The messages were shown during a pre‑trial hearing to decide whether the singer should go to trial.
“What if the first abortion didn’t work?” Celeste texted Burke in June 2024, when she was 13 and he was 19.
Prosecutors say Burke killed her after she threatened to expose his minor‑abuse; he pleads not guilty.
A January 2024 exchange shows Burke apologising for “putting her through this,” to which Celeste responded about caring for a baby.
In June 2024 Burke wrote, “Let’s let this abortion be the last one til we have the real one…”.
Recovered iCloud data includes texts from August 2022, when she was 11 and he 17, and photographs of abuse.
The court heard that the pair had a ‘big‑family move’ called “Operation Awesome”; they broke up in November 2024 but remained in contact.
Defense lawyers focus on an unclear death time, citing decomposition; a police detective, however, matched blood from Burke’s garage to Celeste’s DNA.
D4vd’s fame rose on TikTok before the case; after the arrest in April 2026 his tour was cancelled.
Los Angeles District Attorney filed seven charges, including murder, sexual abuse and mutilation of remains.
