Celeste Rivas Hernandez’s Parents Sue D4vd for Wrongful Death After Murder Charge

LOS ANGELES — The parents of Celeste Rivas Hernandez are suing singer D4vd for wrongful death, accusing him of killing their 14-year-old daughter and exploiting her before her remains were discovered in the trunk of his Tesla.

The lawsuit, filed Thursday in Los Angeles County Superior Court by Mercedes Martinez and Jesus Rivas, also names D4vd’s mother and managers as defendants, alleging negligence and failure to protect a minor. D4vd’s real name is David Anthony Burke.

Burke, 21, was arrested in April at a home in the Hollywood Hills, according to Los Angeles police. He has pleaded not guilty to murder, continuous sexual abuse of a child under the age of 14 and unlawful mutilation of human remains. He remains in custody awaiting trial.

The civil filing draws heavily on evidence presented during a multiday evidentiary hearing in July, where prosecutors described a relationship they said began when Celeste was 13 and ended after she threatened to expose Burke. Text messages revealed at the hearing showed she had become pregnant by Burke and had an abortion, according to the lawsuit.

Prosecutors have alleged that on the night Celeste died in April 2025, Burke sent an Uber to pick her up from her family’s home in Lake Elsinore, in Riverside County. After she arrived at his Hollywood Hills home, prosecutors say, he stabbed her. They have also alleged he used chain saws to dismember her body in his garage.

Her decomposed and dismembered remains were found in September 2025 in the front trunk of Burke’s Tesla at a Los Angeles impound lot. Prosecutors said the car had been left on a street near his home and was impounded at Hollywood Tow after someone reported an abandoned vehicle.

Celeste’s parents say in the lawsuit that because of the decomposition, they waited more than a week after her remains were found for an identification. Some parts of her body were never recovered, the suit says.

The lawsuit accuses Burke of using his position of authority to “influence and control” Celeste, including by giving her a concealed cellphone to maintain contact outside her parents’ knowledge, using false identities, and arranging and paying for her travel.

It asserts claims of wrongful death, battery, sexual battery, childhood sexual assault, assault, false imprisonment, human trafficking and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The suit also alleges Burke engaged in human trafficking by causing or inducing Celeste “to engage in commercial sex acts.”

“The money, food, shelter, designer gifts, travel, a ring, and a promise of future marriage that Burke gave to Decedent were given on account of the sexual acts, satisfying the commercial-sex-act element,” the lawsuit says. “Because Decedent was a minor, neither her purported consent nor any mistakes as to her age is a defense.”

Burke’s publishing and merchandising companies are also named as defendants. The lawsuit claims those entities helped fund the alleged abuse. Listed as co-defendants are Josh Marshall and Robert Morgenroth, described as Burke’s managers; their company, Mogul Vision; and Burke’s live-in security guard, who the suit alleges drove him to pick up Celeste from her parents’ home in 2024.

The suit also names Burke’s mother, Colleen Burke, as a co-defendant. It alleges she approved and funded “arrangements that housed Decedent and enabled Burke’s access to her.” All co-defendants are accused of failing to protect a minor and negligence.

It was not immediately clear whether Burke had an attorney representing him in the civil lawsuit. Contact information could not be found for Burke’s companies or his security guard. Marshall, the owner of Mogul Vision, which employed Morgenroth, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on behalf of himself, the company or Morgenroth. Messages left at numbers believed to be associated with Morgenroth and Colleen Burke were not immediately returned.

The lawsuit requests a jury trial.

Celeste’s parents asked this week for the death penalty in the criminal case. In a statement released on what would have been Celeste’s 16th birthday, they said: “If the death penalty were activated, it would be perfect for this kind of human being, devoid of feelings ... and without conscience, who only caused pain to our daughter, our family, and the world that supports our precious daughter.”

The case has intensified scrutiny of the entertainment industry’s power dynamics and the responsibilities of managers, business partners and family members when allegations of abuse involve a minor. Legal experts say the civil suit could widen the focus beyond Burke himself, testing whether those around him ignored warning signs or helped facilitate access to Celeste.

D4vd at the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center in Los Angeles on April 20. (Ted Soqui / Pool via Getty Images file)

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com.