The clothing Celeste Rivas was wearing when she was found dead was a soaked, insect-covered mess when it reached the LAPD crime lab ... and the garments were so badly soiled, a criminalist says she couldn't complete a key comparison.
Prosecutors displayed Celeste's clothes in court Thursday during the third day of D4vd's preliminary hearing ... claiming she was wearing black leggings, a thong, socks, and a tube top when her dismembered body was found in two bags stuffed in D4vd's Tesla.
An LAPD trace evidence analyst testified the items were packaged together and arrived very wet, with a strong odor and numerous dead insects.
She said the clothes were in such poor condition, the heavy soiling interfered with her forensic work.
D4vd's garage was possibly covered in blood ... this according to a forensic criminalist who helped process his home.
Witness Lauren Wallace -- a criminalist with LAPD's forensic science division -- took the stand during Day 2 of the singer's preliminary hearing for the alleged murder of Celeste Rivas Wednesday ... and said red stains all over the singer's garage tested positive for possible blood.
Wallace was there processing the scene in September of 2025 days after Celeste's body was found, and said the team performed BLUESTAR tests -- used to find potential blood evidence -- inside the Hollywood Hills home D4vd was renting.
Clavicular's being questioned about his medical background in a new lawsuit ... courtesy of a teen influencer who claims Clav injected a fat dissolver into her face.
The influencer behind the lawsuit is Aleksandra Vasilevna Mendoza ... she claims Clav had sex with her while she was underage and injected her face with Aqualyx -- a substance which helps rid cheeks of fat.
In new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Aleksandra wants to know if Clav has a healthcare license.
Among the questions being lobbed Clavicular's way ... "On or about November 14, 2024, did the Defendant maintain any healthcare license?"
Prosecutors sayD4vd's Tesla was not only storing Celeste Rivas' decomposing body, it was also loaded with nearly a dozen air fresheners when her remains were found ... and they showed photographic evidence in court.
At least 11 air fresheners were scattered throughout the Tesla ... according to photos shown in court Wednesday as part of D4vd's preliminary hearing.
LAPD criminalist Chelsea Murillo said the air fresheners were in the center console, the rear seats and the front trunk ... where Celeste's remains were decomposing in two bags.
When ya think about it ... the presence of 11 air fresheners seems to offer a possible explanation for why Celeste's decomposing body was not sniffed out sooner ... despite weeks of scorching summer temperatures leading up to the grisly discovery.
Interscope Records stayed in business with D4vd for eight months after he allegedly murdered Celeste Rivas ... and while that may sound shocking, nuance and clarity are needed to understand why.
Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... the timeline is paramount here because Interscope took action as information about the case became available from LAPD.
For instance ... prosecutors claim D4vd murdered Celeste in April, but her body was not discovered until September 8, when her remains were found in his impounded Tesla.
At that point, we're told Interscope made the call to stop promoting him immediately. Full stop.
D4vd remained under contract with Interscope Records for eight months after he allegedly murdered Celeste Rivas ... with the label cutting ties just four months before his arrest.
Louis Poimiroo -- Interscope's senior vice president of finance -- testified Wednesday during Day 2 of D4vd's preliminary hearing ... confirming the singer's contract through Mogul Vision was terminated in December 2025, and no payments were made to him in 2026.
The timeline is striking ... prosecutors allege D4vd stabbed 14-year-old Celeste to death inside his Hollywood Hills home on April 23, 2025. Just three days later, he released his debut studio album, "WITHERED."
Poimiroo testified Interscope paid D4vd and entities connected to him more than $5.1 million between 2022 and 2025 -- including roughly $2.3 million in 2025 alone. The payments covered recording funds, legal and management fees, and other expenses tied to his music career.
Cher struck out in her attempt to have Sonny Bono's widow, Mary Bono, pay more than $1 million in legal fees Cher racked up in their court battle over music royalties.
Here's the deal ... Cher filed a complaint against Mary years back seeking $1 million in damages in royalties from the songs she and Sonny recorded together, including "I Got You Babe" and "The Beat Goes On."
She said she was entitled to 50% as a part of their 1978 divorce agreement, but Mary allegedly attempted to use certain copyright laws to terminate Cher's rights. A California judge sided with the Grammy winner in May 2024 and said she was owed more than $418,000 in unpaid royalties.
Cher then went after Mary to pay the hefty attorney fees she incurred in the lawsuit ... but on Friday, a judge denied Cher's motion, reasoning that the copyright law she invoked to collect the attorney's fees did not apply to this issue because the dispute was mainly over the old divorce agreement, not copyright law.
Celeste Rivas' body had liquefied and looked like "mush" in the graphic photos shown during D4vd's preliminary hearing Tuesday ... according to the 14-year-old's family's attorney.
We caught up with Patrick Steinfeld outside court after the hearing, and he tells TMZ the alleged evidence presented against the singer is "damning" based on what he saw inside the courtroom.
Steinfeld says the exhibits were so "extremely painful" for the family to sit through that Celeste's mother, Mercedes Martinez, sobbed throughout the hearing and "never recovered."
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's daughter Vivienne is the latest of the former couple's children to ask a court to drop "Pitt" from her last name.
According to court docs obtained by TMZ, the 18-year-old filed a petition seeking to legally change her name from Vivienne Marcheline Jolie-Pitt to Vivienne Marcheline Jolie. The reason for the request is listed simply as "personal."
Vivienne has already been using the surname Jolie professionally, receiving a "Vivienne Jolie" credit in the Playbill for the Broadway production of "The Outsiders," which she helped produce alongside her mother.
D4vdstill had Celeste Rivas' name tattooed on his left ring finger when he was booked into jail ... a chilling detail revealed as Day 1 of his preliminary hearing came to a close.
An investigator testified Tuesday that officers spotted "Celeste" on the singer's finger during booking ... along with "Shhh" on his right index finger and a religious reference on his right palm ... as prosecutors displayed photos showing the faded tattoos in court.
D4vd appeared relaxed as the images were shown, stroking his chin and studying the evidence with his thumb and index finger resting on his face.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman faced the media on the first day of D4vd's preliminary hearing ... revealing prosecutors plan to call more than 10 witnesses -- and they still haven't decided whether to seek the death penalty.
The prelim began Tuesday morning in a downtown L.A. courtroom ... with prosecutors presenting evidence in an effort to convince a judge there's enough to warrant a murder trial in the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas -- Hochman says he expects the prelim to last 5-7 days.
D4vd -- real name David Anthony Burke -- appeared alongside his attorneys as prosecutors began laying out evidence they claim ties him to Celeste's brutal death and mutilation.
Joseph Duggar's attorneys wants to question his in-laws as they fight criminal charges related to allegations he molested a 9-year-old girl ... TMZ has learned.
According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Kendra Duggar's parents, Paul and Christina Caldwell, are scheduled to be questioned under oath on September 14 at the State Attorney's Office in Panama City, Florida.
Investigator Darrell "Chase" Norris is also set to be deposed, while a man named Thomas Lowe will be questioned later that afternoon. The notice says the testimony is being gathered for discovery and possibly to use at trial.
NBA star Anthony Edwards scored a victory in his never-ending battle with his baby mama, Ayesha Howard, after a Georgia judge ruled on child support for their 1-year-old daughter, TMZ has learned.
According to court docs obtained by TMZ, a Georgia judge ordered the Minnesota Timberwolves star to pay $3,222 a month in child support.
In 2023, Anthony signed a 5-year deal with the Timberwolves worth over $200 Million. Ayesha’s monthly income was listed as zero.
Mackenzie Shirilla is trying to breathe new life into her latest appeal ... but Ohio prosecutors say she's merely recycling arguments the court already rejected.
In new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office urges the Supreme Court of Ohio to deny Shirilla's motion for reconsideration ... arguing she has not raised a single new issue warranting another look at her case.
Prosecutors acknowledge reconsideration can be used to correct a decision later deemed erroneous ... but say it is not available when someone simply reargues their case.
Celeste Rivas' parents made the trek into court on Tuesday ... looking serious as they arrived for the preliminary hearing in D4vd's murder case.
Jesus Rivas and Mercedes Martinez were spotted walking down the street in downtown Los Angeles ... holding hands on their way into the courthouse ... and looking solemn.
Celeste's parents have attended some of the prior court proceedings ... so it's not a total surprise to see them in court today ... but today's prelim won't be any easier for them to stomach.
D4vd's preliminary hearing begins today, and over the course of this week the prosecution will be presenting an avalanche of evidence in court as they try to convince a judge there's enough to warrant a murder trial ... and it's expected to get graphic.
The proceedings are finally getting underway after a few delays ... back in April, D4vd was arrested charged with first degree murder in the stabbing death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez.
D4vd -- real name is David Burke -- is also charged with continuous sexual abuse of a child under the age of 14 and unlawful mutilation of human remains.
It will be interesting to see what evidence the prosecution has -- they say they have DNA evidence, surveillance footage, text messages and phone records -- but they've already laid out some of it in court documents ... claiming D4vd and Celeste began a sexual relationship when she was 13.
