A Queens-born singer who skyrocketed to international fame on TikTok is under intense scrutiny after the dismembered body of a missing teen girl was found inside the trunk of his abandoned Tesla.
D4vd, simply pronounced “David,” was in the midst of his first world tour when the badly decomposed remains of 15-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez were discovered locked in the trunk of his Tesla that had been impounded at a lot in California’s Hollywood Hills.
At the time, the 20-year-old singer was all the way across the country preparing for a show in Minneapolis.
Who is D4vd?
David Anthony Burke was born in Queens, NY on March 28, 2005. His family later moved to Houston, Texas, though it’s unclear when.
The streamer-turned-singer started making music to avoid copyright strikes on his Fortnite videos shared on YouTube.
He started small and would record in his sister’s closet using nothing but his phone and music production apps, but quickly transitioned to professional studios once the TikTok algorithm propelled his works into the limelight.
How did he become famous?
The singer took his time to mold his career and image after he went viral for his song “Romantic Homicide,” released in 2022, which rose to the Top 100 Billboard charts within a few days.
Burke positioned himself as any other relatable teenager, save for the ever-ballooning following. Much of his own content centers around his interests, including popular anime like “Attack on Titan” and various melee video games.
His stardom slowly but steadily continued to rise, and he released his debut EP in May 2023 to a roaring reception. One song from the set, “Here With Me,” remains his second most popular to date with roughly 1.5 billion streams on Spotify.
Soon after, the singer started striking deals left and right.
Burke was invited as the opening act for SZA’s SOS Tour in 2023 and is set to perform alongside her again in Toronto on Dec. 5, according to his tour schedule.
One of Burke’s recent songs, “Remember Me,” was commissioned for the hit animated show “Arcane” for its final season, released in 2024. He also boasts repeated partnerships with Fortnite, the very game that sparked him to produce his own songs in the first place.
Burke currently has a staggering 2.1 million followers on Instagram.
What happened?
His momentum came to a screeching halt after Celeste’s body was found.
The body of the teenager, who was reported missing last year when she was 13, was uncovered last week in a tube top with black leggings and a yellow bracelet with similar metal stud earrings.
Her body was wrapped in plastic and was so badly decomposed that it wasn’t fully intact and was first reported to authorities because the ditched car started to emit a “foul odor.”
The corpse’s decrepit condition made it more difficult to properly identify the young girl.
Burke originally continued on with his tour while cooperating with authorities, but has since axed his Wednesday gig in Seattle, according to TMZ.
Early reports noted a distinct tattoo on Celeste’s finger that read “Shhh…” — which is similar to one Burke has, the outlet reported.
However, the ink is a popular flash tattoo adorned by various other celebrities, including Lindsay Lohan and Rihanna.
Celeste’s mother, though, told the outlet that her daughter once had a boyfriend named David.
The mystery itself was enough for several companies to distance themselves from Burke.
Last week, he was dropped by Crocs and Hollister mere days after the companies announced him as the face of their “Dream Drop” collaboration.
Burke has not responded to repeated requests for comment.
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