Presley Gerber, son of supermodel Cindy Crawford, dies at 27

Presley Gerber, the son of supermodel Cindy Crawford, died Sunday at age 27 while at a rehabilitation facility in Los Angeles County. His death was confirmed to CNN by Crawford's representative, who asked that the family be granted privacy during what they described as an extraordinarily difficult time. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's office has not yet released an official cause of death.

Gerber was born in California in 1999, one of two children Crawford shared with businessman Rande Gerber. He followed his sister Kaia into modeling, beginning his runway career at sixteen with a debut for the Italian label Moschino. Over the years, he walked for some of fashion's most recognizable names—Burberry, Dolce & Gabbana, Bottega Veneta, Tommy Hilfiger, and Ralph Lauren among them. He also appeared in campaigns for Calvin Klein, Celine, Pepsi, and Omega, and his work was featured in publications including GQ Style and The New York Times Style Magazine. Beyond modeling, he worked as an investor and entrepreneur; DNA Model Management, which signed him in 2019, represented him alongside his sister and other prominent figures in fashion.

In recent years, Gerber had become notably candid about his struggles with mental health and substance use. During a 2023 appearance on the Studio 22 podcast, he spoke about using his platform to raise awareness around mental health, describing it as "such a big part of my life." He initiated a "Mental Health Mondays" program and collaborated with organizations focused on homelessness in Los Angeles, including A Sense of Home. Last December, he posted a video to Instagram in which he detailed his use of prescription medications, including antidepressants and Xanax for panic attacks. In that video, he acknowledged recent losses he had experienced. "Unfortunately, I've had a lot of loss in many different forms recently," he said. "So that is not an excuse, but it's the reason why I am where I'm at now." Crawford responded to that post with a public message of support: "Presley — we love you and you are not alone."

In July, on his twenty-seventh birthday, Crawford posted to Facebook about her son, writing: "I'm so proud of the man you've become, but I'll always see you as my little boy!" The post reflected a mother's pride in his growth, even as his private struggles continued.

Earlier this month, his sister Kaia spoke publicly about Presley's addiction in an interview with American Vogue for their September cover story. She described how his openness about his challenges had affected the entire family. "When something like that happens in a family, it kind of levels everyone," she said. She also reflected on how his willingness to be vulnerable had shifted the family's approach to privacy and vulnerability. "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,'" Kaia said. She credited him with modeling a kind of honesty that had given her permission to seek help when she needed it, rather than maintaining the image of being "the easy one" who never asked for support.