D4vd now faces another legal battle outside his criminal case. The family of Celeste Rivas Hernandez has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the singer. The civil case comes one year after authorities found Celeste’s dismembered remains in the trunk of D4vd’s Tesla, the lawsuit also names several people and businesses connected to D4vd.
Celeste Rivas Hernandez’s family is taking D4vd to civil court in a new wrongful death case
TMZ reported that the lawsuit targets D4vd, whose real name is David Anthony Burke, as well as his manager Josh Marshall, mother Colleen Burke, and live-in security guard Sheldon Jacques. The family also names Mogul Vision, which they say leased D4vd’s Los Angeles home and helped arrange Jacques’ security job. According to the lawsuit, D4vd arranged in early 2024 for Celeste to travel to and from his home after she repeatedly left her family’s house. The family alleges that D4vd enlisted Jacques to help remove Celeste from her home and bring her to his Hollywood Hills residence.
The lawsuit contains 12 causes of action, with nine aimed at D4vd. The family alleges that people and companies around him knew or should have known about his alleged sexual exploitation of Celeste. They further allege that those individuals did not protect her, supervise D4vd or prevent the alleged abuse. D4vd faces criminal charges for murdering the 14-year-old, along with lewd and lascivious acts with a child under 14 and mutilating a body, and he has pleaded not guilty.
The civil case also raises questions about D4vd’s finances. Family attorney Patrick Steinfeld reportedly criticized D4vd’s claim that he is broke. The outlet obtained records showing D4vd’s father, Dawud Burke, sold a three-bedroom, two-bathroom Houston home for $229,000 in early July, while D4vd transferred two Texas homes to his mother in October 2025. D4vd has since changed lawyers and now has a public defender.
The lawsuit follows the family’s recent support for the death penalty if D4vd gets convicted. They described him as a person “without conscience,” according to the outlet. A judge ordered D4vd to stand trial in July after a five-day preliminary hearing, while prosecutors have said the death penalty remains an option. Celeste would have turned 16 on Monday.
