Cindy Crawford breaks silence on son Presley's death at 27 amid family's ongoing 'pain'

Cindy Crawford and her daughter Kaia Gerber have broken her silence on the death of the former's son Presley Gerber.

In a tribute on Instagram Sunday, October 18, the super model remembered her and husband Rande Gerber's late son as "a sweet, beautiful soul."

The fellow model was 27 when he passed away at a rehabilitation facility on September 20, according to Los Angeles County Medical Examiner records.

Taking to Instagram and sharing a black-and-white photo of Presley surrounded with white feather wings, Cindy, 60, wrote: "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."

"He is a sweet, beautiful soul who loved and is loved, now and forever," she continued. "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," Cindy concluded.

In addition to Presley, Cindy and her husband Rande, who she married in 1998, are also parents to daughter Kaia Gerber, 25, a model like her mom as well as an actress.

Kaia shared a tribute to her older brother minutes after her mom, sharing a heartwarming video of the two as kids along with a lengthy message directed to him.

Presley's death

Per recordings reported on by multiple outlets following Presley's death, a call was dispatched to Santa Monica, California police on September 20 for a cardiac arrest in the 1000 block of Berkeley St. at 9:35 a.m., with another dispatch revealing that first responders were responding to an overdose at the address.

Though an official cause of death has yet to be confirmed, the autopsy has now been completed, according to the Medical Examiner's Office. "SMPD detectives are investigating the death as a suspected overdose. At this time, there is no indication of foul play. The investigation remains ongoing," a Santa Monica Police Department spokesperson confirmed to The Daily Mail.

"Death was pronounced at 09:45 hours on September 20, 2026, by responding paramedics. The Santa Monica Police Department is the investigating law enforcement agency," the medical examiner's office also told People.

Presley's struggles with addiction

Presley was long open about his struggles with addiction, and his sister Kaia supported his public candor in an interview with Vogue just weeks before his death, which took place while he was living in a rehabilitation center. 

During a 2023 appearance on the Studio 22 podcast, he maintained his hope for helping others who faced a similar struggle as him. "Having struggled with mental health, depression and some other things that come along with that, I think that whether I help one person or a hundred people get out of that place that I was in at one point in my life, that’s all I need to do."