A teenage girl who says she had an online friendship with D4vd is revisiting one conversation she once considered harmless. The alleged joke involved the singer and his fictional alter-ego cutting off her arms. Years later, as D4vd faces trial over the death of Celeste Rivas Hernandez, that memory has taken on a far more disturbing meaning for the young woman.
What the teen says about D4vd and the disturbing joke
The teenager, identified as Jane to protect her privacy, spoke to Rolling Stone about her interactions with D4vd. She said she was 16 when their online relationship began in 2022, while the singer was 18.Their conversations reportedly included references to Itami, a fictional knife-wielding character associated with D4vd. According to Jane, an otherwise casual exchange about fighting the character suddenly turned dark.“We were joking around, and I said, ‘I would win in a karate fight with Itami.’ David said I could never beat Itami in a fight,” Jane told Rolling Stone. “He joked about him and Itami doing a violent act toward me, cutting my arms off. It was a joke, but it came out of nowhere.”At the time, Jane said she did not treat the comment as a serious threat. Looking back now, however, she views the conversation through a completely different lens.The change came after details connected to the investigation became public, including information about the condition of Rivas Hernandez’s remains.“When the autopsy report got released, and it showed how her arms were cut off, I was like, ‘This is insane.’ When I saw that, my heart dropped,” Jane recalled.“Was it his subconscious wanting to do that?” she added. “I don’t know.”Jane also described D4vd as a friend who appeared opposed to smoking and drinking and who held strong religious beliefs. She said their relationship eventually ended in 2023 after he told her they were at different stages of maturity.
What D4vd’s trial means for the allegations
The allegations involving Jane are separate from the criminal charges D4vd currently faces. They do not establish that the alleged conversation was connected to Rivas Hernandez’s death, and D4vd remains entitled to the presumption of innocence.Prosecutors allege that D4vd and Rivas Hernandez first exchanged online messages in August 2022, when Rivas Hernandez was 11. Prosecutors have also alleged that their relationship later became sexual.Jane expressed sadness when discussing Rivas Hernandez and suggested that the person she knew online may have seemed very different from the individual described in the prosecution’s case.“I feel like she got the worst version of him. A different version,” Jane said of Rivas. “It’s just really shocking and saddening.”“Sometimes the people who influence you or help shape parts of you can also become people you don’t recognize anymore. And it’s really difficult to process,” she added, noting that she was initially reluctant to speak to Rolling Stone out of fear she would be “misinterpreted” but hopes more people will come forward. “Everything new I hear feels so unexpected.”A judge has ordered D4vd to stand trial over Rivas Hernandez’s death. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges, which include murder, continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14 and unlawful mutilation of human remains.The case will ultimately be decided in court. Jane’s recollection adds another troubling account to the public conversation, but the alleged joke alone does not prove criminal wrongdoing or establish a connection to the death.
