The music world has been rocked by a harrowing and tragic development involving rising alt-pop star D4vd, real name David Anthony Burke, whose burgeoning career has come to a sudden halt amid a police investigation into the death of 15-year-old Celeste Rivas. The decomposed body of Rivas, missing since April 2024, was discovered earlier this month in a bag inside an impounded Tesla registered to the 20-year-old singer, according to multiple reports from TMZ, Associated Press, and NBC Los Angeles.
What began as a promising tour for the Houston-born artist—whose viral hit "Romantic Homicide" captivated Gen Z and climbed to No. 4 on Billboard’s Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart—has turned into a chilling saga that’s left fans and the industry reeling. As of Thursday, September 18, D4vd’s team made the decision to cancel his last two remaining U.S. tour dates: Friday, September 19, at San Francisco’s The Warfield and Saturday, September 20, at Los Angeles’ storied Greek Theatre. A Seattle show had already been pulled earlier in the week, as reported by HotNewHipHop.
At the time of publication, some international dates in Europe (October–November 2025) and Australia (December 2025) were still listed for sale, though at least nine European shows, including the October 1 stop in Norway, had already been removed from ticketing platforms, according to Associated Press. The uncertainty around these dates lingers, with the ongoing investigation potentially affecting D4vd’s ability to travel abroad.
The events leading to this abrupt career pause began with the discovery of Rivas’s remains inside the Tesla, which had been impounded by authorities in Los Angeles. Rivas, who vanished from her family’s Lake Elsinore, California, home in April 2024 at just 13 years old, was identified by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office. The office noted her body was “severely decomposed,” and as of the latest statements, her cause of death has not been determined. The car’s registration to D4vd immediately drew attention, though police have not publicly stated whether the singer himself owned the vehicle or implicated him directly in Rivas’s death.
D4vd’s representatives have maintained a low profile, declining to comment to the press. However, an unnamed representative told NBC Los Angeles that the singer “has been cooperating with authorities since the body was found.” Police sources have also confirmed to TMZ that D4vd has remained cooperative throughout the investigation, which has included a 12-hour search of a Los Angeles home where he had been staying. The property, reportedly rented by his manager Josh Marshall, was combed for traces of blood, and investigators seized a computer and collected hair samples as part of their efforts.
The connection between D4vd and Rivas has been the subject of intense speculation online. According to Rivas’s mother, as reported by TMZ, her daughter had a boyfriend named “David.” Both Rivas and D4vd reportedly had matching “Shhh…” tattoos on their right index fingers, a detail that has fueled further scrutiny. However, as HotNewHipHop cautions, much of the online chatter remains unverified, and law enforcement has yet to draw definitive conclusions about the nature of their relationship or D4vd’s involvement, if any, in the events leading to Rivas’s death.
The fallout has been swift and wide-reaching. Universal Music Group-owned Interscope, Sony Music Publishing, and D4vd’s agency Wasserman have all halted musical promotion for the artist “out of respect for the investigation,” according to TMZ. In addition, D4vd has dropped out of a highly anticipated Grammy Museum event in Los Angeles that was scheduled for Wednesday, September 24, 2025. The event, which had been sold out days prior, was quietly removed from the venue’s website, as noted by Associated Press. The deluxe release of D4vd’s debut album, Withered, has also been canceled or postponed, further signaling a major pause in his career.
The singer-songwriter’s rapid rise to fame had seemed unstoppable just months ago. D4vd, whose real name is David Anthony Burke, burst onto the scene in 2022 when his self-produced track “Romantic Homicide” went viral on TikTok, capturing the imagination of millions. He signed with Darkroom and Interscope, released his debut EP Petals to Thorns and its follow-up The Lost Petals in 2023, and launched the North American leg of his tour in August 2025 to support his first full-length album, Withered. His genre-blending style—mixing indie rock, R&B, and lo-fi pop—earned him a devoted following, particularly among Gen Z listeners.
Now, with his tour in shambles and his public image under a dark cloud, D4vd’s future remains uncertain. The investigation continues, with authorities combing through digital evidence and forensic samples collected from the Hollywood Hills residence linked to the singer. While D4vd’s cooperation with law enforcement has been noted by his representatives and the press, the lack of official statements from both police and his management has left fans and industry observers in a state of anxious limbo.
Meanwhile, Rivas’s family and the wider community are left searching for answers. The tragedy of a young life cut short, compounded by the high-profile nature of the case, has made this a story that’s reverberated far beyond the music world. The fact that Rivas was only 13 when she disappeared, and that her body was found more than a year later in such grim circumstances, has heightened the sense of shock and sorrow. As Associated Press reported, the Medical Examiner’s Office has yet to determine how she died, and the investigation is likely to continue for some time.
As the days unfold, more details may come to light, potentially reshaping the narrative around D4vd and his connection to Celeste Rivas. For now, the music has stopped, the tour buses are parked, and the industry is left holding its breath, waiting for clarity in a case that has already left an indelible mark on all involved.
