Disturbing text messages presented in court between singer D4vd and the 14-year-old girl he is accused of killing indicate the teenager had undergone an abortion a little more than a year before her death.
D4vd, whose legal name is David Anthony Burke, is facing charges of first-degree murder, continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14 and mutilation of human remains in the death of Celeste Rivas Hernandez.
The singer has entered not guilty pleas to all of the charges.
One exchange displayed Friday in a Los Angeles courtroom at the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center showed Celeste asking Burke, ‘What [if] the first abortion didn’t work?’
The message was sent in June 2024, according to the BBC. Celeste was 13 at the time, and Burke was 19.
In another message from the same month, Burke wrote: ‘Let’s let this abortion be the last one til we have the real one…’
Messages shown to the court also indicated that about five months earlier, the musician had apologized to Celeste for ‘putting her through this.’
‘Neither of us are capable of watching and taking care of the baby,’ the teen girl responded. ‘It’s for the best no?’
When Burke asked her if ‘it is mine,’ Celeste responded, ‘of course it’s yours David.’
Singer D4vd, real name David Anthony Burke, allegedly exchanged text messages concerning an abortion with Celeste Rivas Hernandez, the 14-year-old girl, he is accused of murdering
![Celeste asked Burke in one of the text messages shown in court, 'What [if] the first abortion didn't work?'](https://i.dailymail.com/1s/2026/07/25/05/110244623-16004175-Celeste_asked_Burke_in_one_of_the_text_messages_shown_in_court_W-a-1_1784955007637.jpg)
Celeste asked Burke in one of the text messages shown in court, ‘What [if] the first abortion didn’t work?’
Burke, in a Friday courtroom sketch, has been charged with first-degree murder, continuous sexual abuse of a child under the age of 14 and unlawful mutilation of human remains
In a separate chain, Celeste told Burke that she ‘took a innocent life of a literal baby,’ the Associated Press reported.
After she asked Burke if anyone knew that they were having sex, he replied, ‘nope and i want to keep it that way until we married.’
Los Angeles Police Detective Corey Farell testified that investigators confirmed the teenager had an abortion in January 2024, according to LAmag.
Data recovered from Burke’s iPhone and presented by prosecutors showed that texts between him and Celeste dated back to August 8, 2022, when she was 11 and he was 17.
Some of the conversations, taken from Burke’s iCloud account, discussed contraception and pregnancy.
Burke’s phone also contained photos of Celeste during the alleged sexual abuse, Farell said on Friday.
Farell testified that Burke’s lock screen featured an image of the two embracing while topless, per the outlet.
He added that investigators had found sexually explicit photographs and videos on the device which prosecutors used to illustrate an alleged sexual relationship between Burke and Celeste.
According to Farell, the footage appeared to have been recorded inside Burke’s bedroom.
The content found on the device allegedly included the teen and the singer naked and in sexual acts, plus close-up photos of their genitals.
Celeste told Burke in one of the texts shown Friday that she ‘took a innocent life of a literal baby’
Burke’s cellphone allegedly contained content of the singer and the 14-year-old girl engaging in sexual acts
The sexually explicit footage was not shown in court, but it was described by Farell.
This prompted Celeste’s parents to leave the courtroom, with the teen girl’s mother, Mercedes Martinez, sobbing as she left.
Prosecutor Beth Silverman told the family, ‘I’m sorry,’ according to the outlet.
Burke was mostly expressionless while Farell testified. He continued staring forward as Celeste’s mom exited, according to LAmag.
The court also heard that Burke and Celeste had discussed a plan for the teen to run away from home and live with the singer around February 2024.
Their plan was dubbed ‘Operation Awesome,’ according to conversations on Burke’s phone.
One of the times that Celeste was reported missing was that month, prosecutors have said. She returned home on that occasion before her eventual death.
Burke, who was arrested in April, has pleaded not guilty to murder, sexual abuse of a child and mutilation of a body
Prosecutors claimed that Burke stabbed Celeste, pictured with her family, to death after she treatened to ‘destroy his life’
According to the texts shown in court, Burke and Celeste ‘broke up’ in November 2024 but stayed in contact afterwards.
The preliminary trial brief alleged that Burke ‘continued to manipulate’ Celeste into March 2025.
‘All we do is have sex and just hang out man I want more than that for myself,’ she texted him, according to prosecutors.
Prosecutors said that texts from April 22 of that year showed how Celeste became jealous over Burke’s relationship with other women, the brief said.
She then ‘threatened to disclose damaging information about her relationship with defendant to end his career and destroy his life,’ the document continued.
Burke was set to release his first studio album and had an ’emerging multi-million-dollar career already in progress’ at stake, prosecutors said.
He allegedly sent an Uber to take Celeste from her family’s Lake Elsinore home to his rental in the Hollywood Hills the following night around 10.10pm.
The singer allegedly stabbed Celeste to death multiple times and stood by while she bled out, according to the filing.
Burke’s preliminary hearing will continue Monday at the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center
Burke has pleaded not guilty to murder, sexual abuse of a child and mutilation of a body.
His preliminary hearing, which will determine whether there is enough evidence to bring the case to trial, will continue on Monday.
Burke allegedly amputated Celeste’s left finger, which contained a tattoo of his name, according to the preliminary brief.
Prosecutors claim he placed her body into the front trunk of his Tesla, which he parked on the street around the corner from his Doheny Place rental.
Celeste’s body was not found until September 8, when the car was towed and the Los Angeles Police Department received complaints about a foul odor coming from the vehicle.
Burke was arrested by the LAPD on April 16 and has been held without bail since.
