D4vd was born David Anthony Burke in 2005. He first garnered attention when he created montages of himself playing the video game Fortnite set to music. Under the stage name d4vd, Burke in 2021 posted his first single online, “Run Away.” The following year “Romantic Homicide” became a viral hit, and in September 2022 Burke, who was 17 years old and still in high school, signed with Darkroom/Interscope Records. His debut album, Withered, was released in April 2025.
On September 8, 2025, the decomposed and dismembered remains of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez were discovered in the trunk of Burke’s Tesla, which had been towed after being reported abandoned in the Hollywood Hills, California. On April 20, 2026, Burke was formally charged with her murder. Prosecutors allege that he and Hernandez had a sexual relationship, and she had threatened to go public, jeopardizing his career. Burke pleaded not guilty.