D4vd has been appointed a public defender after his high-profile lawyers withdrew from his murder case after he apparently ran out of money.
The 21-year-old singer, real name David Anthony Burke, is charged with killing his underaged girlfriend, Celeste Rivas Hernandez, after allegedly forcing her to get an abortion.
Burke’s lawyers, Blair Berk, Marilyn Bednarski and Regina Peter told the judge they couldn’t defend him anymore because he can’t afford to pay their high legal fees. A public defender was appointed to represent Burke.
High-profile defense attorneys such as Blair Berk typically charge celebrities $1 million for a murder trial.
“This morning the court granted our request to withdraw as counsel and appointed the Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office, after it was determined David qualified for appointed counsel,” Berk told TMZ.
It isn’t clear what happened to Burke’s millions.
He signed his first recording contract with Interscope Records when he was 17. Interscope paid the teenager at least a $3 million advance for an EP, an album, and various other deliverables, TMZ reports.
Upon signing the contract, D4vd was paid $500,000 in a lump sum, followed by a $250,000 payment and then $2,250,000. The contract said the value could balloon to $6 million.
Burk also made millions from touring and record sales. Additionally he owned at least 2 homes in Texas and a small fleet of cars, including a Tesla.
A tow yard worker discovered Hernandez’s decomposing body in the front trunk of Burke’s Tesla on September 8, 2025, while he was on tour.
After a lengthy investigation, Burke was arrested on April 16, 2026, and charged with Hernandez’s murder.
The prosecutor’s office shocked the courtroom when they revealed 14-year-old Hernandez was previously pregnant and had an abortion.