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In September, D4vd, a music artist who initially gained his following on TikTok, was thrust into the spotlight for a very dark reason. The body of a teen girl was found inside the trunk of a Tesla registered to him after it was removed from a Los Angeles street. The LAPD was initially reluctant to name D4vd a suspect. Still, online sleuths were quick to draw a connection between the artists and the teen who was later identified as Celeste Rivas Hernandez, 14. D4vd is now considered a suspect and, according to insiders, an indictment looms. Now, brands are parting ways with the artist as quickly and quietly as possible.

An indictment in Celeste Rivas Hernandez’s murder case is looming, claims sources

The process of charging D4vd in the death of Celeste Rivas Hernandez, a teen who went missing from Lake Elsinore in 2024, is reportedly ongoing. Last month, TMZ reported a grand jury had convened to gather evidence in the case. Now, the outlet suggests an indictment for D4vd could be forthcoming. No charges have been filed yet. Still, it’s possible they will be filed in the next several weeks or months as the jury listens to witnesses and reviews evidence.

In the meantime, D4vd has gone largely underground. He canceled his tour, abandoned his social media accounts, left the Reddit sub he moderated, and hasn’t been on Discord or using his gaming tag since the police investigation into Hernandez’s death began heating up.  What D4vd, whose legal name is David Anthony Burke, has been doing is moving property around.

In September, the musician transferred the deeds to two homes in Texas to his mother. His family, including his siblings, had been living in one of the homes, according to the Daily Mail. D4vd was born in New York but was largely raised in the Houston area. Prior to the death investigation, he had been living in Los Angeles, in a home rented for him by his manager. He was actively touring the country and had plans to begin an international tour when Hernandez’s body was discovered in the trunk of his abandoned Tesla.

‘Madden’ scrubs all connections to D4vd

On August 14, just weeks before Celeste Rivas Hernandez would be found inside the trunk of D4vd’s abandoned Tesla, EA Sports released Madden NFL 26. The popular football video game came with an eclectic playlist for gamers to enjoy while they virtually slung the pigskin. D4vd was one of the artists included in the playlist. In the game’s initial drop, D4vd’s song, “What are you Waiting For,” was featured. During a recent update, as an indictment for D4vd looms, EA has quietly removed the song. There are no longer any references to the artist in the game.

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TMZ was the first to report the change on December 29. Still, it’s unclear exactly when the song was officially dropped from the playlist or what prompted the decision. EA isn’t the only player to distance themselves from D4vd since the murder investigation honed in on the R&B artist. Interscope halted all promotion of the 20-year-old star’s music shortly after the teen’s body was identified. Hollister and Crocs dropped D4vd from their ad campaign around the same time. Friends and fellow artists were also quick to unfriend the once-rising music star.

This story is still developing.

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