The tension between Celeste Rivas and D4vd was at a boiling point before she was killed last April ... and it seems she was done with him.
This new information came to light Friday, during D4vd's preliminary hearing ... prosecutors showing text messages between the young teen and singer from August 2022 to March 2025, just a month before she was killed and dismembered.
In the March 2026 conversation, the 14-year-old girl told the singer she was through with him ... and that if they wanted to be friends ... it would only be online, never in person again.
The text read, "I don't want anything to do with you in person anymore." Later in the messages, D4vd told Celeste, "Yeah the boundary setting is terrible."
Celeste replied, "It's not even that, D, a lot more than just that."
Graphic photos of Celeste Rivas having sexual encounters with D4vd were described in court Friday ... and it was more than enough to send her parents running for the exit.
Prosecutors detailed numerous pics of Celeste engaged in sexual acts with her alleged murderer during D4vd's preliminary hearing ... and all the talk caused Celeste's parents to become distraught.
In fact, prosecutors actually suggested Celeste's mother and father leave the courtroom ... telling them they shouldn't hear about the images ... and they exited in tears.
Gruesome photos showingCeleste Rivas' dismembered and decomposing remains are so tough to look at, folks started pouring out of the courtroom after they were shown in court during D4vd's preliminary hearing.
During Friday's hearing, medical examiner Dr. Grant Ho -- who examined the young girl's body -- returned to the stand to describe incredibly graphic images presented by the prosecution.
At one point, Deputy District Attorney Beth Silverman showed photos of Celeste's two amputated fingers ... eliciting gasps and shrieks from inside the courtroom.
D4vd's lawyers are coming out swinging in the preliminary hearing of Celeste Rivas' murder case ... and they're taking aim at LAPD's criminalists.
On Thursday, D4vd's defense attorney, Blair Berk, questioned criminalist Lauren Wallace, who had previously testified about the presence of possible blood evidence in his garage ... specifically asking about the 2 chainsaws they found.
Wallace explainedthat they didn't swab the chainsaws for touch DNA, considering the presumptive blood testing on the power tools had come back negative.
Celeste Rivas' mom was doubled-over crying in court Thursday, TMZ has learned. But as witnesses took the stand, D4vd sat stone-faced.
During day 3 of the singer's preliminary hearing in Celeste's murder case, Samantha Tosch -- a criminalist with the LAPD Crime Lab's DNA Unit -- took the stand to discuss alleged DNA evidence.
Celeste's mom was crying and was handed a tissue during Samantha's testimony, as she was detailing possible blood samples that contained DNA profiles which were allegedly consistent with the young girl's.
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.
A private investigator connected to D4vd's case was kicked out of the courtroom during the preliminary hearing ... and apparently it's because he might end up being a witness in the potential murder trial.
Here's the deal ... the private eye was booted from the courtroom Thursday after prosecutor Beth Silverman pointed out to the judge that he was present during grand jury testimony -- and could be called as a potential witness somewhere down the line.
Potential witnesses -- besides alleged victims likeCeleste Rivas' family -- are barred from the preliminary hearing ... so the judge ruled this dude had to go.
Celeste Rivas' family is still struggling to comprehend the horrific allegations against D4vd ... with their attorney telling TMZ they simply can't understand why he would allegedly take a chainsaw to their beautiful girl.
We caught up with family attorney Patrick Steinfeld outside court Wednesday after another emotional day of testimony in D4vd's preliminary hearing. He says Celeste's loved ones remain "disheartened and broken," adding they're searching for answers they may never get.
Steinfeld tells us the family can't wrap their heads around why D4vd would allegedly mutilate Celeste's body after killing her, saying they "can't understand why D4vd would take a chainsaw to their beautiful girl."
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.
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's former friend Aysia Collinssays she completely turned her back on the singer following his arrest ... and now she wants justice for the girl he allegedly murdered -- Celeste Rivas.
Aysia -- who says she met the singer while modeling on one of his sets before later working as a stylist on his tour -- is opening up about the backlash she has faced over their former friendship.
Check out the clip ... Aysia addresses her relationship with D4vd, her cooperation with investigators, and explains why she believes people are focusing their anger in the wrong direction.
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.
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."
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.