LOS ANGELES (AP) — Singer D4vd lost his high-profile private defense lawyers on Monday during a court hearing where he entered a new not guilty plea to charges alleging that he killed, sexually abused and dismembered 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez.

Blair Berk, along with attorneys Marilyn Bednarski and Regina Peter, withdrew from representing the singer, whose legal name is David Anthony Burke. The reason for their departure was not publicly explained. The attorneys said in a statement that the judge granted their request to withdraw after determining that Burke qualified for a court-appointed lawyer.

“We continue to support David and his defense against these serious charges,” the lawyers said. They declined to answer detailed questions about their departure outside court.

The change in legal representation comes despite testimony at an earlier hearing that Burke earned at least $10 million from his music between 2023 and 2025. The Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office said it had conducted a thorough financial evaluation and determined that Burke was eligible for its services.

Deputy Public Defender Walid Kandeel has now taken over the case. Judge Charlaine F. Olmedo rejected Kandeel’s initial request to delay Monday’s arraignment and required Burke to enter a plea. The judge scheduled the next status conference for October, and no trial date has been set.

Olmedo previously ruled after a five-day evidentiary hearing in July that there was sufficient evidence for Burke to stand trial on charges of murder, continuous lewd and lascivious acts with a child under 14, and unlawful mutilation of human remains.

Burke is eligible for the death penalty, although Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said after Monday’s hearing that prosecutors are still deciding whether to seek it. Hochman said the change in defense lawyers would not alter the prosecution’s approach, although it could potentially delay the proceedings. He said prosecutors remain prepared to prove all three charges beyond a reasonable doubt.

Berk, one of the outgoing attorneys, has represented a number of high-profile clients over the years, including Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, Harvey Weinstein and the late Ozzy Osbourne.

Kandeel said in a statement that the defense recognized the loss of life involved in the allegations and expressed sympathy for those grieving. He also said Burke was entitled to a defense that would carefully examine the circumstances and evidence in the case.

The change in lawyers is similar to a recent development in another high-profile California murder case involving Nick Reiner, who is accused of killing his parents, director Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner. Reiner also lost a prominent private attorney after his source of funding was cut off and has sought access to a trust to rehire the lawyer.

Prosecutors allege that Burke stabbed Rivas Hernandez to death in April 2025 after she threatened to reveal sexual abuse that prosecutors say began when she was 13. Authorities allege the killing occurred only days before the release of Burke’s debut album.

According to prosecutors, Rivas Hernandez sent Burke a text message the night before her death threatening to expose him. Prosecutors said Burke then arranged an Uber for her the following night and stabbed her after she entered his home. They presented evidence indicating that her phone stopped showing activity at that time.

Rivas Hernandez’s decomposing and dismembered body was discovered in the trunk of Burke’s Tesla in the Hollywood Hills in September, while the singer was on tour. During the July hearing, prosecutors described the evidence against Burke as overwhelming, while his previous defense team argued that the evidence was insufficient to establish murder.

D4vd, pronounced “David,” rose to prominence as a teenager through TikTok, SoundCloud and Spotify with music combining indie rock, R&B and lo-fi pop. His breakthrough song, “Romantic Homicide,” released in 2022, has accumulated more than a billion plays across streaming platforms.

He performed at the Coachella music festival in 2024 and released his debut full-length album, “Withered,” two days after prosecutors say Rivas Hernandez was killed.

SOURCE: The Associated Press (AP), Andrew Dalton, updated September 24, 2026.