The music world is reeling from a horrifying scandal enveloping TikTok sensation D4vd (David, 22), the “Romantic Homicide” crooner whose viral fame masked a dark secret: his alleged relationship with 15-year-old Celeste Rivas, the missing California teen whose decomposed body was found dismembered in the trunk of his impounded Tesla on September 8, 2025, in a Hollywood tow lot. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner confirmed Rivas’ identity on September 17, ruling her death a homicide, with LAPD raiding a Hollywood Hills home where D4vd stayed, uncovering creepy messages, unreleased songs dedicated to her, and links to A-list stars that have fans on X (#D4vdScandal) gasping in disbelief. What began as a “romantic” online fling has spiraled into a nightmare of obsession and tragedy, leaving D4vd under investigation and his career in ruins.
Rivas, a San Fernando Valley high school freshman reported missing April 15, 2024, connected with D4vd, 22, on TikTok in early 2024, bonding over music and dreams of stardom. Leaked DMs, obtained by TMZ, show D4vd calling her “my muse” and sending voice notes of unfinished tracks like “Celeste’s Shadow,” lyrics hauntingly prophetic: “Lost in your light, but the dark pulls you under.” Friends say Rivas idolized D4vd, ditching school for secret meetups at his LA spots, including the Hills home owned by producer friend Scooter Braun. A final Snapchat from April 14—“Hiding with my star tonight ❤️”—was sent hours before she vanished.
The gruesome discovery came when tow yard workers, investigating a foul odor from D4vd’s black Tesla Model S (registered in his name), found Rivas’ dismembered remains wrapped in plastic, autopsy revealing blunt force trauma and strangulation. LAPD, treating it as homicide, raided the home on September 9, seizing phones, laptops, and notebooks with D4vd’s lyrics referencing “a girl who faded away.” Creepy messages like “You’re mine forever, even if we hide” and a song link shared with Braun (who denies knowledge) have exposed D4vd’s obsession. Braun’s team told Variety, “David was a collaborator, not a friend—we’re horrified.”
D4vd, silent since the news, canceled his San Francisco show on September 18, with fans speculating guilt or fear. His 2024 rise with Petals to Thorns (1 billion streams) now tainted, X users rage: “Creepy lyrics were warnings!” Rivas’ family, devastated, said, “Celeste dreamed of music—he stole her light.” LAPD’s probe into stars like Braun adds layers—did fame enable the horror? As D4vd’s world crumbles, Rivas’ story demands justice, a tragic echo of talent lost to shadows.