Supermodel Cindy Crawford and American businessman Rande Gerber have publicly addressed the death of their son Presley Gerber for the first time with a tribute published on Crawford’s Instagram account. Presley’s sister Kaia Gerber also signed off on the statement and posted her own separate message via her own account.
Presley, a 27-year-old model and mental health advocate died at a rehabilitation facility on September 20. The death is being investigated as a suspected overdose but no official cause of death has yet been revealed.
“We are beyond heartbroken to lose our beloved son and brother. We feel so blessed to have had Presley in our lives for 27 years,” the statement, posted early Monday morning (AEDT) read.
“He is a sweet, beautiful soul who loved and is loved, now and forever. We are so proud of how he showed up in the world, with kindness and vulnerability.
“We are grateful for the outpouring of love and support from so many who know and love our family and even strangers who feel our pain. Til we meet again our sweet boy. We love you forever, Mom, Dad and Kaia,” the tribute finished.
Separately Kaia, a 25-year-old actor recently seen in the Disney+ TV series The Shards, based on Bret Easton Ellis’s novel, posted her own long tribute with video of the two siblings dancing together when they were young children, along with a picture of the pair on a beach.
“Prez, I don’t have the words, and maybe the tiny mercy is that we didn’t need them all along. Words fail and words subtract and words summarize (sic) and words always lack truth. And how naive of me to believe that language could transcend grief,” Kaia Gerber wrote.
“You know how much I loved being your sister. It has always been, and will forever be, my favorite (sic) thing about myself. I came into this world with a white-knuckle grip around you. I had more love for you than I knew what to do with. And now that it has nowhere obvious to go, I’m certain it’s going to swallow me whole.”
Presley went into cardiac arrest before his death, a leaked 911 audio recording obtained by People said. Santa Monica Police Department said in a statement to the outlet that Presley was found dead upon arrival.
“[Santa Monica Police Detectives] are investigating the death as a suspected overdose,” police said. “At this time, there is no indication of foul play. The official cause and manner of death will be determined by the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner. The investigation remains ongoing.”
Presley began modelling as a teenager and was signed by the agency IMG Models at 15. He had been open about his mental health struggles, including depression and substance abuse, before becoming an advocate.
In 2019, Presley was charged with drink-driving, and late sentenced to three years’ probation and ordered to do two days of community service and complete a DUI program, per The Hollywood Reporter.
He began an Instagram series called Mental Health Mondays in 2023, where he talked openly about his mental health, before it finished in 2025.
Presley’s sister Kaia Gerber referred to the Instagram series in an interview withVogue magazine in August in which described the impact of her brother’s battle with addiction.
“When something like that happens in a family, it kind of levels everyone,” she said. “I think that’s also why I started to self-identify as the easy [child] and never wanted to ask for help. Because it felt like too much to have two children who were needing.”
But Presley’s openness was particularly challenging, she said.
“My parents for most of our lives were very, very private and didn’t share anything – and now we have this absolute teacher, my brother, who says, ‘I’m gonna be very human for everyone’,” she said.
“There’s only so much you can hide from the world. And trying to put a lid on something just makes the person feel like you’re ashamed of them.”
