Singer D4vd had impregnated teenager he is accused of fatally stabbing | Los Angeles
Singer D4vd impregnated the teenager he is accused of fatally stabbing, according to evidence presented in a Los Angeles courtroom Friday. It is stated in text messages between the two that Celeste Rivas Hernandez later had an abortion.
The musician, whose real name is David Anthony Burke, apologized to Rivas Hernandez for “putting him through this situation” in a text message he received from his phone in January 2024.
“Neither of us are capable of taking care of the baby. Isn’t this for the best?” Rivas Hernandez replied. He was 13 years old at the time.
The statement came on the fourth day of a hearing to determine whether the musician will be tried on murder and child sexual abuse charges in connection with the death of Rivas Hernandez. He pleaded not guilty.
Speculation began online about whether Rivas Hernandez was pregnant after prosecutors previewed plans to present text correspondence in an April court filing that referenced pregnancy, abortion and the Plan B emergency contraceptive pill.
Prosecutors say Burke fatally stabbed 14-year-old Hernandez in April 2025 to prevent her from revealing the sexual nature of their relationship as her career soared. According to prosecutors, she was 18 and he was 13 when the sexual abuse began.
The autopsy of Rivas Hernandez’s body was also discussed Friday.
Last September, Los Angeles police found Rivas Hernandez’s remains in the front trunk of a Tesla registered to Burke, five months after prosecutors alleged Burke killed him.
The court this week saw stunning photographs of Rivas Hernandez’s mutilated and decomposing body.
Grant Ho, the doctor who performed the post-mortem examination, testified Friday that the deteriorated conditions of his body created difficulties in the autopsy.
Rivas Hernandez had been dead for weeks when his body was found, but Ho said it was extremely difficult to tell exactly when he died.
In April, Rivas Hernandez’s autopsy report was unsealed amid increased scrutiny and speculation about the circumstances of his death. The woman died from multiple penetrating injuries, according to the Los Angeles County medical examiner’s office.
On Friday, Ho said he discovered two stab wounds, one in his abdomen that hit his liver and the other in his left chest, damaging his ribs.
Defense attorney Marilyn Bednarski cast doubt on the extent to which the autopsy report could reveal what preceded Rivas Hernandez’s death.
“You can’t rule out the possibility that he was holding a tool that caused any of these injuries?” asked Ho.
The doctor said he couldn’t do that, but noted that self-inflicted injuries are typically accompanied by “hesitation marks” on the skin, which were not found on the teenager’s remains.
Associated Press contributed reporting
