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Did D4vd pay huge amount to Celeste Rivas family? Fact-checking viral rumor
The father of Celeste Rivas Hernandez refuted claims that singer D4vd paid the family for communication about his deceased daughter
The father of Celeste Rivas Hernandez, a teenage girl who was reportedly killed by the recording artist D4vd, has publicly addressed a rumor concerning his family.
According to court documents, prosecutors claim that D4vd, whose real name is David Burke, encountered Rivas Hernandez when she was 11 years old. They allege that he commenced sexually abusing her at the age of 13 while he was 18, and subsequently murdered her after she threatened to disclose their relationship.
Burke faces charges of murder, ongoing sexual abuse of a minor, and corpse mutilation. Prosecutors have not disclosed if they intend to pursue the death penalty.
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Celeste’s family speaks out
Patrick Steinfeld, the attorney for Celeste’s family, issued a statement from her father, Jesus Rivas, following the emergence of claims online suggesting that the singer had compensated the family to maintain continued communication with their daughter.
“I never had any contact with this guy and we haven’t received any money from him or anyone in his family,” Rivas stated in the statement.
Origin of rumor
Lauren Conlin, a writer for Los Angeles Magazine, informed NewsNation’s Jesse Weber that she traced the origins of the rumors to posts on the social media site Reddit, which came from Celeste’s hometown of Lake Elsinore.
Conlin said that the family should not be held accountable for the events that transpired and believes that Rivas spoke out to help quell the speculation.
“This family is going through something so horrific and so tragic that no family should have to go through,” Conlin remarked. “We’re living in this crazy society where we blame the victim’s family, and at this point, we just don’t know enough.”
Here's what court documents say
The court document further claims that D4vd ordered two chainsaws, a body bag, and an inflatable pool from Amazon under a fictitious name. Investigators have reported that remnants of that pool were discovered in the lacerations on Celeste's body.
Additionally, prosecutors noted that D4vd visited a site in Santa Barbara County several times following Celeste's death, including on the night of her murder. A Caltrans employee subsequently found the teenager's passport card discarded in that vicinity in January 2025.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for next month to ascertain whether the 21-year-old should face trial.
Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell addressed ABC7 regarding the disturbing nature of the case.
"Sadly, some treated this as if it was entertainment. It's not entertainment. It's a tragic life taken in a very brutal way. A lot of people involved, a lot of care and concern, as well, expressed over the case. But, we've taken it very seriously, and our goal is to be able to preserve evidence until it gets to trial," McDonnell said.
That evidence is expected to be presented during the preliminary hearing, where witnesses will also be summoned. The preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 26.
