Since the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner confirmed that the partial remains discovered in singer d4vd’s Tesla trunk were those of missing teen Celeste Rivas, the R&B star has found himself under heavy scrutiny.
Authorities have not accused or arrested the “Romantic Homicide” artist in connection with the 15-year-old’s death, but that hasn’t stopped fans from combing through his music videos and lyrics for possible hints—many of which carry dark, death-related imagery.
Much of the focus has been on d4vd’s “murderous alter ego,” a character he created called Itami.
Fans have zeroed in on the video for “Romantic Homicide,” where d4vd appears in a blood-stained shirt with a blindfold, alongside an actress some viewers online claim resembles Rivas. Authorities, however, have made no such link. Another clip that’s sparked speculation features d4vd playing both the victim and the killer, ending with a body being placed in a car trunk.
Following the discovery, d4vd has retreated from the spotlight, canceling his tour stops. Prior to that, though, he had opened up about the dark imagery woven into his art and the creation of his Itami persona — even detailing it in a February 2023 post on X, where he offered fans more insight into the character’s origins.
“Hey guys we have officially named the blindfold character! his name is itami (傷み) which means pain in Japanese,” d4vd wrote in February 2023. “I have alot of cool ideas fully building out this story with you all! (feel free to leave conspiracy theories) the expansive d4vdverse is only getting started.”
d4vd also delved deeper into the character during a chat with Mahogany, just four months before the death investigation. “The story of the Manga went like – I was a detective and there was an evil version of myself that would come out at random moments,” he explained. “Kinda like ‘Fight Club’ with Tyler Durden. He would commit the crimes that I would have to solve afterwards as a detective. So as the detective, I’d be solving murders that I’m committing myself.”
He went on to share why Itami appeared in “Romantic Homicide” and other visuals. “I put that all on screen, and me and Itami had a great time just like chopping it up and getting to kind of merge creative ideas on the entire thing,” he said.
