Presley Gerber, the 27-year-old model and eldest child of Cindy Crawford and businessman Rande Gerber, was found dead at a rehab facility in Santa Monica, and police say they are investigating his death as a suspected overdose.
Santa Monica police responded to a report of a possible overdose around 9:35 a.m. Sunday and found a deceased male upon arrival, NBC News reported. The department said detectives are handling the case as a suspected overdose and that there is no indication of foul play.
Online records from the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner identified the location of death as a rehab facility. The examiner's office completed its examination Monday but deferred the official cause and manner of death, stating that "additional testing and/or studies were requested in order to make a determination." The office added that it cannot disclose what testing was requested because of the ongoing investigation.
The Gerber family released a brief statement asking for "privacy during this very difficult and painful time." No further details from the family have been made public.
Gerber had been candid in recent months about his battles with mental health. He launched a series he called "Mental Health Mondays" on Instagram, where he said he hoped to "spark real conversations about the stuff most people hide." In a November post, he wrote that he "had to step back and take care of my own mental health for a bit."
That openness stood out in a family known for guarding its private life. His younger sister, model Kaia Gerber, addressed Presley's willingness to be public about his struggles in a Vogue interview published last month.
Kaia Gerber told the magazine:
"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 added: "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."
The family had appeared together in a "TODAY" interview last year, during which Kaia praised their mother's approach to parenting. "She has never lived vicariously through us," Kaia said. "You are so not a stage mom."
In July, Cindy Crawford posted two images of Presley, one as a child, one as a young teenager, to mark his 27th birthday. Her caption read: "I'm so proud of the man you've become, but I'll always see you as my little boy! Love you."
Crawford and Rande Gerber married in 1998. Both Presley and Kaia followed their mother into modeling, appearing in campaigns for brands including Dolce & Gabbana and Calvin Klein. In 2018, at age 18, Presley appeared alongside Crawford in a Pepsi ad that recreated her iconic 1992 Super Bowl commercial.
The arc from that lighthearted Pepsi spot to a death investigation at a California rehab facility is the kind of trajectory that blindsides families in the public eye, and reminds the rest of us how little glamour protects anyone from addiction.
Paris Hilton, described as one of Gerber's close friends, posted a tribute on her Instagram Story.
"I'm completely heartbroken. I still can't believe this is real. I cared about you so much, and I'm going to miss you more than words can say. I'll always cherish the memories we shared, the laughs, the conversations, and just being around you. You had such a gentle heart and there was something so special about you that anyone who was lucky enough to know you could feel. I hope you knew how deeply loved you were and how many people cared about you."
Hilton called Gerber "a beautiful soul" who was "so sweet, sensitive, kind and genuine."
Brooklyn Peltz Beckham also posted on Instagram Story, writing: "Presley you were the kindest and we are going to miss you so much x we love you."
Jason Kennedy shared a video of Gerber discussing his mental health challenges and said the news made him "feel sick to my stomach." Kennedy wrote that Gerber "was always open about his struggles because he knew it would help others and IT DID." He added: "Watching your parents love you the way they did was beautiful, I'm heartbroken for them and your whole family. You are at peace in Gods arms and I pray that same peace will cover all those who loved you. You were special."
The investigation remains in its early stages. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner has not disclosed what substances, if any, are suspected. The specific name of the rehab facility where Gerber died has not been released. And the deferred cause-of-death finding means a final determination could take weeks or longer, depending on toxicology results and whatever additional studies the office requested.
Santa Monica police have offered no timeline for when they expect to close the case. The absence of any foul-play indication narrows the investigative focus, but the formal deferral by the medical examiner means the public record is still incomplete.
Addiction does not check family pedigree at the door. Gerber's death at 27, inside a facility where he was presumably seeking help, is a grim reminder that even people doing the right thing can run out of time. The nation's ongoing struggles with substance abuse spare no zip code, no tax bracket, and no last name. Recovery is hard, and the stakes of failure are final.
Public figures across the spectrum have confronted serious health crises in recent months. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's prolonged rehab stay prompted its own round of difficult questions about health, transparency, and what the public deserves to know. Those debates will continue. So will the quieter ones that happen in families like the Gerbers, families that, for all their fame, are left grieving a son and brother who asked for help and still lost the fight.
Gerber tried to turn his pain into something useful. He put his name on the conversation most people dodge. That counts for something, even now, when it was not enough.
