D4vd Hit With Wrongful-Death Lawsuit Exactly One Year After Celeste Rivas’ Remains Were Found

D4vd's legal nightmare has just become considerably bigger.

Exactly one year after 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez's dismembered remains were discovered inside the front trunk of a Tesla registered to the singer, her parents have filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against D4vd-and they are not stopping with him.

Celeste's parents, Mercedes Martinez and Jesus Rivas, are also suing D4vd's manager Josh Marshall, his mother Colleen Burke, his live-in security guard Sheldon Jacques and several businesses connected to the singer. The civil complaint, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, reportedly contains 12 causes of action, nine of which are directed against D4vd. It seeks damages in an amount to be determined. 

The family's explosive contention is that people surrounding the singer allegedly knew-or reasonably should have known-about his purported relationship with the underage teenager but failed to protect her or stop the alleged abuse. These claims have not yet been proven in civil court.

The lawsuit also names Mogul Vision, which reportedly leased D4vd's Los Angeles residence and helped arrange for Jacques to work as his live-in security guard. The family alleges that D4vd arranged transportation for Celeste to and from his Hollywood Hills home during periods when she repeatedly left her family's residence. It further claims Jacques helped remove Celeste from her home and transport her to D4vd's property. 

D4vd, whose legal name is David Anthony Burke, is separately facing criminal charges of first-degree murder, continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14 and unlawful mutilation of human remains. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges, and his previous attorneys maintained that the evidence would show he did not murder Celeste or cause her death.

Prosecutors allege D4vd began sexually abusing Celeste in November 2023, when she was 13 and he was 18. They claim he continued communicating and having sexual contact with her after law enforcement informed him that she was an underage runaway. The new civil lawsuit largely echoes those allegations.

According to prosecutors, Celeste threatened to disclose damaging information about their alleged relationship during a heated exchange on April 22, 2025. Authorities contend D4vd arranged for her to be transported to his Hollywood Hills home the following day and killed her to prevent revelations that could destroy his increasingly lucrative music career. His defence has disputed the prosecution's case, arguing that there is no evidence he intended to kill Celeste and no witness or surveillance footage showing her entering his house during the relevant period.

Court documents allege D4vd later purchased items including a shovel, chainsaws, a body bag, a heavy-duty laundry bag and an inflatable pool. Prosecutors claim some purchases were made using a false name and were connected to an attempt to mutilate and conceal Celeste's remains. Those allegations remain to be tested at trial. 

Celeste's remains were discovered on September 8, 2025, after workers at a Hollywood tow yard reported a foul smell coming from the impounded vehicle. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner subsequently ruled her death a homicide caused by multiple penetrating injuries.

A judge determined in July 2026 that prosecutors had presented sufficient evidence for D4vd to stand trial. His high-profile private attorneys later withdrew from the case without publicly explaining why, and he is now represented by the Los Angeles County Public Defender's Office. He remains in custody without bail and entered another not-guilty plea during his August 31 arraignment.

The civil action also arrives amid questions about the singer's finances. TMZ reports that D4vd transferred two Texas properties to his mother in October 2025. The family's attorney has challenged suggestions that the singer is unable to afford private counsel, while the lawsuit may bring renewed scrutiny to his assets and any transfers made after Celeste's remains were discovered. No court has ruled that those transfers were improper.

Celeste's family is simultaneously urging Los Angeles County prosecutors to seek the death penalty should D4vd be convicted. District Attorney Nathan Hochman has not publicly announced a final decision about whether his office will pursue capital punishment. The singer is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

What began as a horrifying discovery inside an abandoned vehicle has now widened into two major legal battles. The criminal case will decide whether prosecutors can prove D4vd committed the charged offences. The civil case asks an even broader question: whether members of the singer's professional and personal circle could have acted sooner-and whether their alleged failure to intervene contributed to the death of a 14-year-old girl.