The singer-songwriter D4vd has quietly pulled his controversial 'bloody shirt' merchandise from his website after the remains of 15-year-old Celeste Rivas were discovered in a Tesla registered in his name earlier this month. The removal comes as investigators continue to examine the circumstances around the teenager's death, and as the artist's team cancels shows and halts music releases.
The decision to take down the shirt, which was a $35 white button-down spattered with fake blood patterns on it, coincided with mounting scrutiny over d4vd's online image and the tone of his creative output.
Fans and critics alike have questioned the timing and symbolism of the merchandise, with many calling it inappropriate in light of the ongoing investigation. While the removal answers one part of the backlash, the silence from the artist himself on the matter has become an important question in itself.
Merchandise Pulled and Tour Dates Cancelled
Until late last week, the shirt, which was a $35 white button-down spattered with fake blood patterns on it, was being sold through D4vd's official site. Its removal coincided with the cancellation of the final leg of his US tour, which had two dates left in California.
According to TMZ, his label has paused the planned deluxe release of his album Withered, which had been due out on Friday. All promotional campaigns have also been suspended by Universal Music Group and its publishing arm Sony, alongside booking agency Wasserman.
The combined cancellations have created an image of an industry retreating as the investigation gathers pace.
A Career Steeped in Death Imagery
Even before the artist's name was linked with Celeste, death had been a recurring theme in D4vd's creative output. The Withered world tour, according to the reports, greeted fans with a casket and a condolence book, part of a theatrical staging around a character the artist reprises in music videos. That character's uniform included a shirt covered in bloody handprints and a blindfold.
The pulled merchandise appears to echo this stage persona. Coverage by TMZ Minute on Fox News Radio noted, 'D4vd has pulled controversial merchandise from his website,' describing it as 'bloody shirt merchandise.'
His breakout hit Romantic Homicide similarly drew on violent imagery. The YouTube video shows a woman in a bloodied white dress lying on a bed. In an interview with Genius, D4vd clarified, 'I didn't kill her physically, but in the back of my mind, she died. I didn't even cry, not a single tear."
The lyrics, however, are unflinching, 'In the back of my mind, I killed you / And I didn't even regret it.'
References to Celeste
More controversy has emerged from claims that D4vd recorded an unreleased track referencing a girl named Celeste. According to the reports, its lyrics included, 'Oh, Celeste, the girl with my name tattooed on her chest, smell her on my clothes like cigarettes.'
The Los Angeles Times also reported that Rivas and the artist may have shared the same tattoo, and that photos allegedly showing them together are being reviewed by investigators. Police have searched a Los Angeles home linked to d4vd as part of their inquiry.
The Discovery of Celeste Rivas
On September 8, police discovered a decomposing body in the boot of an impounded Tesla in Hollywood. The vehicle, registered to D4vd, had been abandoned locally for several days before being towed. Reports of a foul odour led officers to inspect the car.
On September 17, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office identified the remains as those of Celeste Rivas, a 15-year-old girl reported missing in April 2024. She had vanished at the age of 13. Officials said her cause of death remains 'pending,' but according to the Los Angeles Times, the case is being investigated as a possible homicide.
