Celeste Rivas Hernandez's family plans to file wrongful death lawsuit against D4vd, attorney says
The family of Celeste Rivas Hernandez says it plans to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the singer known as D4vd, the 14-year-old girl's accused killer.
A wrongful death complaint has been filed but is still being processed by the court , according to Patrick Seinfeld, an attorney for the family.
As of Wednesday morning, a copy of the complaint had not been shared with the media. It is expected to be made public after being processed.
On Sunday, the eve of what would've been Celeste's 16th birthday, the family released a new photo of her, along with a statement saying in part that the death penalty for D4vd "would be perfect for this kind of human being, devoid of feelings and emptiness inside, and without conscience."
"But that's not in our hands, but rather in God's, and the California justice system," the family statement added.
The last execution in the state of California happened two decades ago.
Singer D4vd is now being represented by a public defender after his previous lawyers withdrew from his murder case last week.
Celeste was just 14 when prosecutors say her then-boyfriend, David Anthony Burke, the singer's full name, murdered her and left her dismembered body in his car in 2025.
Burke is behind bars and has been ordered to stand trial on a murder charge in her death. The 21-year-old has pleaded not guilty and is due back in court next month.
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In July, a judge ordered him to stand trial after hearing evidence and days of testimony during a preliminary hearing.
In the hearing, photos of Celeste's decomposing remains were shown to the court. Prosecutors allege that D4vd brutally killed Celeste last year because he was afraid she would go public with their sexual relationship and ruin his budding music career.
After D4vd was dropped by his attorneys and assigned a public defender, Celeste's family issued a statement, claiming he is not indigent (cannot afford to pay for a private lawyer), but is instead hiding his money in various corporations.
The family expressed doubt about his financial situation, citing his billions of streams and monthly listeners on music streaming platforms.
"The residents of Los Angeles County should be outraged because it will be the taxpayers that are picking the tab to defend this millionaire...," the family's statement read, in part. "Perhaps he would have money if he just asked one of his corporations, or if he had not fraudulently transferred assets to his mother/manager Colleen Burke."
