D4vd Dropped by Interscope Following Murder Charge

Late last year, Interscope Records quietly dropped D4vd from its label. Now, in the wake of the singer’s arrest for the murder of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, Universal Music Group has helped other artists remove their collaborations with him from streaming platforms, according to Rolling Stone.

The 21-year-old, born David Anthony Burke, was charged Monday with first-degree murder. Hernandez’s dismembered and severely decomposed body was found in Burke’s Tesla last September. She was last seen entering his Los Angeles home in late April. The two were believed to have been in a relationship.

Burke pleaded not guilty. His attorneys have stated that “their client did not murder Celeste Rivas.” The case has drawn significant attention given Burke’s rapid rise to fame through his 2022 hit “Romantic Homicide,” which was released independently before he signed with Interscope.

The label’s quiet exit and UMG’s coordinated removal of tracks signal a decisive break from an artist whose career trajectory has been violently interrupted. For streaming platforms and labels, the situation raises questions about how quickly they act when an artist faces serious criminal charges.