The death of Presley Gerber is still under investigation as authorities work to determine what happened to the 27-year-old son of Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner said an examination was scheduled for Monday, September 21, a day after Gerber died while at a rehabilitation facility. No cause of death has been announced, and officials stressed that only limited information is currently available.
According to the medical examiner’s office, responding paramedics pronounced Gerber dead at 9:45 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 20. The Santa Monica Police Department is leading the investigation.
“The investigation is still ongoing, and there is limited information available,” the office said in a statement to People. Authorities have not disclosed whether they are investigating a possible overdose, accident, or foul play.
A representative for Crawford, Rande and their daughter, Kaia Gerber, confirmed the family’s loss and asked for privacy as they mourn. “The family is asking for privacy during this very difficult and painful time,” the representative said. Gerber was the couple’s only son and Kaia’s older brother.
The investigation has also brought renewed attention to Gerber’s public conversations about addiction, depression and treatment in the months leading up to his death. In one of his final Instagram posts, shared in March, he documented his preparation for what he described as an “ibogaine flood dose.”
Ibogaine is a naturally occurring psychedelic derived from the root bark of the Central West African shrub Tabernanthe iboga. While researchers have studied it as a potential treatment for addiction, it is not approved for medical use in the United States.
“Quiet moment before everything changed,” Gerber wrote alongside a video recorded before the treatment. He acknowledged being “absolutely terrified” but said he had reached a point where he was prepared to confront what he had been avoiding.
“I knew why I was there,” he wrote. “I faced what I had been running from, and somewhere in all of it, I started finding my way back to myself.”
He ended the reflection by saying he was “praying it’s the last time I have to come back.”
His family offered public support in the comments. Crawford described her son as a “warrior” and said she was proud of him for walking “through the fire” to find himself. Kaia replied, “That’s my brother. I am so damn proud.”
Gerber later launched a recurring “Mental Health Mondays” series on social media, where he spoke about mental health as an ongoing responsibility rather than something that could be fixed through a single treatment or breakthrough.
In a since-deleted Instagram video posted in December 2025, Gerber also spoke about taking medications including buprenorphine, Xanax, and Valium while dealing with panic attacks and other mental-health struggles.
“Unfortunately, I’ve had a lot of loss in many different forms recently,” he said at the time. He clarified that those losses were not an excuse for his condition but helped explain how he arrived at that point. Crawford publicly responded, telling him, “We love you, and you are not alone.”
Before his struggles became such a prominent part of his public story, Gerber followed his mother and sister into the fashion industry. He signed with IMG Models at 15 and made his runway debut for Moschino at 16. He later walked for Burberry, Dolce & Gabbana, Bottega Veneta, Tommy Hilfiger and Ralph Lauren, while appearing in campaigns for Calvin Klein, Celine, Omega and Pepsi.
He also appeared alongside Crawford in a 2018 Super Bowl commercial that revisited her well-known connection to the brand.
Shortly before his death, Kaia spoke with Vogue about her brother’s decade-long struggle with addiction and the impact it had on their family. “When something like that happens in a family, it kind of levels everyone,” she said. She also praised Presley for being open about what he was going through, describing him as a “teacher” who chose to be vulnerable in public despite the family’s longstanding preference for privacy.
