Presley Walker Gerber, the 27-year-old model and son of supermodel Cindy Crawford and businessman Rande Gerber, died on September 20, 2026, at a sober living facility in Santa Monica, California. Police are investigating his death as a suspected overdose. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner has deferred the official cause and manner of death pending additional testing, and toxicology results have not been released. On October 18, nearly a month after his death, Cindy Crawford, Rande Gerber, and Kaia Gerber broke their silence with tributes shared on Instagram. The family described themselves as “beyond heartbroken” and praised Presley for showing up in the world “with kindness and vulnerability.” His remains were cremated at Rose Family Funeral Home within days of his death, and the family planned a private memorial at their Malibu home.
What Happened to Presley Gerber?
Presley Gerber was found unresponsive on the morning of Sunday, September 20, 2026, at Resolutions Living, a sober living home on the 1000 block of Berkeley Street in Santa Monica, California. Santa Monica police were dispatched at approximately 9:35 a.m. following a report of a possible overdose. Paramedics pronounced him dead at 9:45 a.m. Officers reported no indication of foul play or criminal activity. The case number is 2026-14977.
According to sources who spoke to TMZ, Gerber’s sober team had arranged his admission to the facility after his family urged him to return to treatment. On the afternoon of September 19, a member of his sober team called Resolutions Living to ask whether it would admit him while he was high. Staff reportedly told the caller to bring him in. A friend and his sober coach dropped him off shortly after 6 p.m. that evening. Sources said he was acting erratically and making troubling comments about why he had gotten high.
He was found unresponsive the following morning. Dispatch recordings reportedly included a cardiac arrest call at the address, followed by a reference to an overdose. Officers performed life-saving measures, but Gerber was pronounced dead within minutes of their arrival.
The California Department of Health Care Services told TMZ it has no record of Resolutions Living as a licensed residential treatment facility. Sober living homes in California do not require a state licence. Sources noted that Gerber should have completed medical detox before being admitted, as the facility is not a detox centre. Resolutions Living did not respond to requests for comment.
Death Investigation and Cause of Death
The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner performed an examination on September 21. A deputy medical examiner deferred both the cause and manner of death, requesting additional testing and studies. The office said it could not disclose which tests were requested, warned that deferred cases can take several months to resolve, and described the investigation as being in its “early stages.”
Santa Monica police are treating the death as a suspected overdose. Detectives are questioning employees and co-residents who were present at the facility and are working to trace where Gerber obtained drugs. No specific substances have been publicly identified in connection with his death, and toxicology results have not been released.
Gerber’s death certificate, obtained by TMZ on September 25, confirmed that his remains were cremated at Rose Family Funeral Home. His occupation was listed as an entrepreneur in the mental health field. His parents are expected to keep his ashes at their home in Malibu.
The family was reported to be planning a small, private memorial service, with Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills and Malibu Presbyterian Church considered as locations. Friends surrounding the family during this period included Laura Dern and George Clooney.
Kaia Gerber has broken her silence nearly one month after her brother Presley died at age 27 of an accidental drug overdose https://t.co/zE9sTXTeeW 🔗 https://t.co/bJWwNTaisA
— Daily Mail (@DailyMail) October 18, 2026
Cindy Crawford and Family Break Silence on Presley Gerber’s Death
On October 18, 2026, nearly a month after Presley’s death, Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber shared a joint statement on their Instagram accounts. The tribute marked the first time the family had spoken publicly beyond the initial request for privacy.
The statement read: “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. We are so proud of how he showed up in the world, with kindness and vulnerability.” They thanked fans and strangers who had shared their pain and closed with: “Til we meet again our sweet boy. We love you forever, Mom, Dad and Kaia.”
Kaia Gerber posted a separate tribute shortly afterward. Her caption began: “I love you the bluest, to the moon and back and back again, forever big brother.” She wrote that being his sister “has always been, and will forever be, my favorite thing about myself.” She recalled childhood experiences with Presley and said she had struggled with emptiness since his death. “You were my ultimate teacher while you were here,” she wrote. “You believed people were inherently good because, Presley, you are inherently good.” She closed with: “I was born loving you. I will die loving you. There was never anything else.”
In August 2026, before Presley’s death, Kaia had spoken to Vogue about her brother’s “decade-long struggle with drug addiction,” describing how his experience had affected their family. She said it “kind of levels everyone” in a family.
Presley Gerber’s Struggles With Mental Health and Addiction
Presley Gerber was open about his battles with mental health and substance use throughout the final years of his life. On the Studio 22 podcast in 2023, he said: “Having struggled with mental health, depression, and some other things that come along with that.” He described mental health as a constant part of his life and said he wanted to help people dealing with depression or other struggles without judgement.
In November 2025, he launched a series called “Mental Health Mondays” on Instagram. In the announcement, he said he had stepped back to care for his mental health and wanted to “spark real conversations about the stuff most people hide.” The series documented his experience in a recovery group and his ongoing efforts to stay sober.
In March 2026, he posted about undergoing ibogaine treatment at a clinic in Cancun, Mexico. His Instagram caption read: “Pre Ibogaine Flood Dose, quiet moment before everything changed.” He described facing what he had been avoiding and finding his way back to himself, and he expressed hope that it would be his last time needing treatment. Cindy Crawford commented that he had “walked through fire to find himself.” Kaia responded that she was proud of her brother.
Ibogaine is a psychoactive compound derived from the West African shrub Tabernanthe iboga and is classified as a Schedule I substance in the United States. A 2022 review in the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment identified 58 ibogaine-associated emergencies, including 38 deaths, often linked to underlying health conditions or combinations with other substances.
In December 2019, Gerber was arrested on a DUI charge. He was sentenced to three years of probation, ordered to complete a DUI programme, and given two days of community service. In 2020, he got the word “MISUNDERSTOOD” tattooed on his face, which drew widespread attention and concern from his family. Cindy Crawford was reported to be “concerned” about the tattoo. He appeared to have the tattoo removed approximately a year later.
Tributes From Friends and Public Figures
The news of Presley Gerber’s death prompted tributes from across the entertainment and fashion worlds.
Paris Hilton, a longtime family friend, posted on Instagram Stories within hours of the news breaking: “I’m completely heartbroken. I still can’t believe this is real.” She had commented “Love you bro” under Gerber’s final Instagram post from August 5, before his death was reported.
Brooklyn Peltz Beckham, a close friend who had grown up in the same Malibu social circle, described himself as heartbroken.
Lexi Wood, a Summer House star and Gerber’s former girlfriend, shared a tribute on September 22. She wrote: “It’s hard to put into words what it means to lose someone who was such a meaningful part of my life for so many years.” She called him “one of the kindest, most open, loving, and courageous people” and said he “fought so hard for his life.” She added: “More than anything, he wanted to use his story to help other people, and he did.” Wood and Gerber had dated briefly in late 2022 before splitting in December of that year. She said the friendship continued after their romance ended.
Who Was Presley Gerber? His Life and Modeling Career
Presley Walker Gerber was born on July 2, 1999, via home birth in Brentwood, California. He was the first child and only son of Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber, who married in 1998. His younger sister, Kaia Gerber, was born in 2001 and went on to become a model and actress.
Rande Gerber is a businessman whose ventures include restaurants, nightlife companies, and Casamigos, the tequila brand he co-founded with George Clooney and Mike Meldman before selling it to Diageo for $1 billion in 2017.
Presley was raised in Malibu, California, where he grew up surfing, skating, and spending much of his time in the ocean. He later told Vogue in 2016: “I hope that I don’t miss all of it,” referring to how his childhood had begun changing as he entered the working world.
He signed with IMG Models as a teenager and later moved to DNA Models, whose bio described him as an entrepreneur and model. He made his runway debut in June 2016 at Moschino’s Los Angeles Resort Show at age 16. He went on to walk for Burberry, Dolce and Gabbana, Bottega Veneta, Tommy Hilfiger, and Ralph Lauren.
In 2018, at age 18, he appeared alongside his mother in Pepsi’s Super Bowl LII commercial, a tribute to Crawford’s iconic 1992 Pepsi ad. That same year, he shot a Calvin Klein jeans campaign with his sister Kaia. His editorial work included features in CR Fashionbook, GQ Mexico, and Paper Magazine.
He also had an interest in photography, which he connected to growing up surrounded by cameras. In the years before his death, he increasingly identified as an entrepreneur in the mental health space, using his platform to advocate for people struggling with addiction and depression.
Quick-Reference Profile
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Presley Walker Gerber |
| Born | July 2, 1999 |
| Birthplace | Brentwood, California (home birth) |
| Raised In | Malibu, California |
| Died | September 20, 2026 |
| Age at Death | 27 |
| Mother | Cindy Crawford (supermodel) |
| Father | Rande Gerber (businessman, Casamigos co-founder) |
| Sister | Kaia Gerber (model and actress) |
| Agencies | IMG Models, DNA Models |
| Runway Debut | Moschino, June 2016 (age 16) |
| Notable Campaigns | Pepsi Super Bowl LII (2018), Calvin Klein (2018) |
| Notable Brands | Burberry, Dolce and Gabbana, Bottega Veneta, Tommy Hilfiger, Ralph Lauren |
| DUI Arrest | December 2019 |
| Death Location | Resolutions Living, Santa Monica, California |
| Cause of Death | Deferred by LA County Medical Examiner (suspected overdose under investigation) |
| Cremated At | Rose Family Funeral Home |
| Family Statement | October 18, 2026 |
FAQs
What was the cause of Presley Gerber’s death?
The official cause and manner of Presley Gerber’s death have not been determined. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner deferred both after performing an examination on September 21, 2026, requesting additional testing and studies. Santa Monica police are investigating the death as a suspected overdose. Toxicology results have not been publicly released.
Where did Presley Gerber die?
Presley Gerber died at Resolutions Living, a sober living home on the 1000 block of Berkeley Street in Santa Monica, California. He had been dropped off at the facility the evening before, on September 19, 2026. The California Department of Health Care Services said it had no record of the home as a licensed residential treatment facility.
What did Cindy Crawford say about Presley Gerber’s death?
On October 18, 2026, Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber released a joint statement saying they were “beyond heartbroken to lose our beloved son and brother.” They praised Presley for showing up in the world “with kindness and vulnerability” and closed with: “Til we meet again our sweet boy. We love you forever, Mom, Dad and Kaia.”
What did Kaia Gerber say about her brother?
Kaia Gerber posted a separate Instagram tribute on October 18, writing: “I love you the bluest, to the moon and back and back again, forever big brother.” She said being his sister “has always been, and will forever be, my favorite thing about myself” and wrote: “I was born loving you. I will die loving you. There was never anything else.”
Did Presley Gerber struggle with addiction?
Yes. Presley Gerber was open about his struggles with mental health and substance use. His sister Kaia described his “decade-long struggle with drug addiction” in a Vogue interview. He launched a “Mental Health Mondays” series on Instagram, spoke about his experiences on the Studio 22 podcast in 2023, and documented undergoing ibogaine treatment in Cancun, Mexico in March 2026.
Was Presley Gerber’s death investigated as an overdose?
Santa Monica police are investigating the death as a suspected overdose. Officers were dispatched to the sober living facility on September 20, 2026, following a report of a possible overdose and found no signs of foul play. Detectives are questioning facility employees and co-residents and are working to trace where Gerber obtained drugs. The official cause of death has not been determined.
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