Presley Gerber's Family Speaks for the First Time After His Death at 27
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Cindy Crawford, Rande Gerber and Kaia Gerber publicly addressed the death of Presley Gerber for the first time on Sunday, posting tributes on Instagram nearly a month after he died at 27. Presley Gerber died Sept. 20 at a rehabilitation facility in California, and police are investigating the death as a suspected overdose.
The family had not spoken publicly about the death before Sunday, CBS News reported. Here is what the family said and what is known so far.
What did the family say?
Crawford and Rande Gerber posted the same message on their Instagram accounts, according to CBS News. Crawford's post included a photo of her son and the dates July 2, 1999, and Sept. 20, 2026, Fox News reported. The statement said the family was "beyond heartbroken" and felt blessed to have had Presley for 27 years.
It said they were proud of how he met the world with kindness and vulnerability, and thanked the many people, including strangers, who have offered support. It closed with a message signed "Mom, Dad and Kaia."
What did Kaia Gerber write?
Kaia Gerber posted her own tribute, which BBC News said included a video of the siblings dancing as children, a photo of them near the ocean and a four-page letter addressed to "prez." She recalled being afraid to get her ears pierced as a child and said her brother went first, according to Fox News and the BBC.
She wrote that she is learning how to love him when she cannot see him, and how to be his sister in a world she cannot reach him in. CBS News said the post also described a sense of emptiness since his death and carried a caption calling him her "forever big brother."
What is known about how he died?
Presley Gerber died Sept. 20 while at a rehabilitation facility. CBS News placed the facility in Santa Monica. Santa Monica police have described the death as a suspected overdose, and the BBC reported that police said there was no indication of foul play.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner lists the cause of death as deferred, according to Fox News and CBS News. The BBC described the case as pending additional investigation. The medical examiner told Fox News Digital that the investigation is ongoing and that limited information is available. A family representative asked for privacy, Fox News reported.
What had Presley Gerber said about his struggles?
Gerber spoke openly about depression, panic attacks and addiction, and regularly posted videos on Instagram under the name “Mental Health Mondays,” according to the BBC and Fox News. On a 2023 podcast, he said he hoped sharing his mistakes could spare others from repeating them.
In March, he posted a video of himself before an ibogaine treatment at a wellness clinic in Cancún, Mexico, Fox News reported. Fox cited Stanford Medicine as describing ibogaine as a psychedelic derived from a plant root bark that has drawn scientific interest as a possible treatment for opioid and cocaine addiction. Fox said the treatment is legal in some countries but not in the United States. In his caption, Gerber said he hoped it would be the last time he needed such treatment.
Who was Presley Gerber?
He was the son of Crawford and Rande Gerber, a businessman who co-founded the Casamigos tequila brand with George Clooney, according to the BBC. Like his mother and sister, he worked as a model and made his runway debut for the Italian label Moschino at age 16, the BBC reported.
Why does it matter?
The family's statement ends weeks of public silence around a death that drew attention because of the family's prominence. For readers, the case is a reminder of how the question of cause of death can stay open for some time: a deferred finding from the medical examiner means the official cause has not been announced, even though police have called it a suspected overdose.
It also brings renewed attention to his public accounts of living with addiction and depression. The BBC's article pointed readers affected by these issues to the BBC Action Line and to Befrienders Worldwide for help available in many countries.
