Presley Gerber, the only son of supermodel Cindy Crawford and businessman Rande Gerber and the older brother of model and actress Kaia Gerber, has died at 27.

Gerber was pronounced dead Sunday morning, September 20, while staying at a rehabilitation facility in Santa Monica, California, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner. Paramedics pronounced him dead at 9:45 a.m. after emergency responders were called to the facility.

His family confirmed the devastating news through a representative shortly after his death.

“The family is asking for privacy during this very difficult and painful time,” the representative said.

Gerber had spoken publicly in recent years about his struggles with mental health and substance use, increasingly using his platform to discuss subjects that his famous family had previously kept largely private. His death comes only weeks after Kaia spoke publicly about the profound impact her brother’s years-long addiction struggle had on their family.

The exact cause of his death, however, remains undetermined.

Medical Examiner Says Cause of Death Is Deferred

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner issued a statement Monday saying its investigation remains in its early stages.

A deputy medical examiner performed an examination on Gerber on September 21. His cause and manner of death were subsequently listed as “deferred,” meaning additional testing or studies are necessary before officials can make a final determination.

The department said deferred cases can take several months to complete.

Gerber’s official case number is 2026-14977, and the Santa Monica Police Department is handling the law-enforcement investigation.

That distinction is important as additional reports surrounding the circumstances of his death emerge.

Santa Monica police said Monday that Gerber’s death is being investigated as a suspected overdose. Dispatch information obtained by media outlets indicated emergency calls referenced both an apparent overdose and cardiac arrest. Police have said there are currently no indications of foul play.

A suspected overdose is not the same as an official cause of death.

Until toxicology and any other requested testing are completed, it would be premature to state that an overdose killed Gerber. The Medical Examiner has not reached that conclusion.

Gerber Was at a Rehabilitation Facility

The circumstances surrounding where Gerber died have drawn particular attention because he was seeking treatment at the time.

Medical Examiner records identify his place of death as a rehabilitation facility. The Los Angeles Times reported that authorities responded Sunday morning to Resolutions Living in Santa Monica after calls concerning cardiac arrest and an apparent overdose. According to the Times, Gerber had arrived at the facility the previous night.

What happened between his arrival and the emergency response Sunday morning remains part of the investigation.

Authorities have not publicly established how any suspected drugs may have entered the situation or whether medication, illicit substances or some other factor ultimately contributed to Gerber’s death.

Those questions will likely depend heavily on toxicology testing.

Presley Had Been Open About Addiction and Mental Health

Gerber’s struggles were not entirely hidden from the public.

In recent years, he became increasingly candid about addiction, depression, panic attacks, medications and his experiences trying to find effective treatment.

Rather than presenting himself solely through the polished image associated with his famous family and modeling career, Gerber began discussing some of the most difficult periods of his life publicly.

In late 2025, Gerber shared details about medications he was taking and spoke about the frustration he had experienced navigating psychiatric treatment. He said he hoped his openness might reach other people experiencing similar problems and make them feel less isolated.

He also discussed treatment for opioid use disorder.

Earlier this year, Gerber publicly described undergoing ibogaine therapy as part of his attempts to address addiction and mental-health problems. He characterized the experience as frightening but potentially transformative and continued talking about recovery with his followers afterward.

His willingness to discuss those struggles had become an increasingly visible part of his public identity.

Kaia Recently Spoke About Her Brother’s Addiction

Only weeks before Presley’s death, Kaia Gerber discussed what her brother’s addiction had meant for the entire Crawford-Gerber family.

In an August interview with Vogue, Kaia described the experience as something that had affected everyone around him.

“When something like that happens in a family, it kind of levels everyone,” she said.

Kaia explained that she had come to see herself as the “easy one” in the family and sometimes avoided asking for help because she felt her parents were already dealing with so much involving Presley.

Her comments also revealed another side of her relationship with her brother.

Rather than expressing embarrassment about Presley discussing his problems publicly, Kaia said she was deeply proud of his willingness to be open.

Their parents had traditionally maintained significant privacy around family difficulties. Presley increasingly took the opposite approach, talking openly about addiction and mental health instead of attempting to preserve the appearance that everything was fine.

For Kaia, that openness had value.

She described her brother as someone willing to be visibly human in front of other people rather than allowing his struggles to remain hidden.

The Only Son of Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber

Presley Walker Gerber was born July 2, 1999, to Crawford and Rande Gerber.

Crawford had already become one of the defining supermodels of her generation by the time Presley was born, while Rande built a career as an entrepreneur and later became widely known as a co-founder of Casamigos tequila alongside George Clooney.

Presley was the couple’s first child.

Kaia followed in 2001.

Both children eventually entered the fashion industry, creating one of modeling’s most recognizable multigenerational families.

Presley began modeling as a teenager and went on to work with major fashion houses and brands, including Calvin Klein and Dolce & Gabbana. He and Kaia appeared together in campaigns, and Presley also shared the spotlight with his mother.

One of the family's most memorable commercial moments came in 2018, when Presley appeared with Crawford in a Pepsi Super Bowl campaign that revisited elements of his mother's famous 1992 Pepsi advertisement.

Crawford later recalled watching her son work that day as a proud mother standing on the sidelines.

His Life Became More Complicated Away From Modeling

As Presley entered adulthood, the public narrative surrounding him increasingly moved beyond fashion.

In 2019, he was arrested for driving under the influence. He later received three years of probation, was ordered to complete a DUI program and was assigned community service.

But his later public discussions made clear that his difficulties extended well beyond a single legal incident.

Gerber described periods of depression, anxiety and panic attacks as well as his attempts to navigate addiction and treatment.

He also became increasingly willing to discuss how complicated recovery could be.

That public honesty distinguished Presley from the carefully controlled celebrity image that often surrounded the Crawford-Gerber family.

A Family Known Worldwide Is Now Asking for Privacy

For Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber, Presley's death means the loss of their only son.

For Kaia, it means the loss of the older brother whose difficulties she had spoken about publicly only weeks earlier.

The family has not released an extensive statement discussing the circumstances surrounding his death and has not publicly attributed his death to an overdose.

Instead, their message has been brief.

They are asking for privacy.

That request comes while police, the Medical Examiner and the media continue examining what happened during Gerber's final hours.

What Happens Next

The biggest unanswered question is the one that cannot yet responsibly be answered: what caused Presley Gerber’s death?

The Medical Examiner has completed its initial examination, but the cause and manner remain deferred.

Additional testing could take months.

Santa Monica police are separately investigating the circumstances as a suspected overdose, and authorities have said there is no current indication of foul play.

Until the Medical Examiner completes its work, reports of an apparent or suspected overdose should remain characterized exactly that way.

What is confirmed is that Presley Gerber died Sunday at 27 while staying at a rehabilitation facility in Santa Monica.

He leaves behind his mother, Cindy Crawford; his father, Rande Gerber; and his younger sister, Kaia Gerber — a family that spent decades in the public eye and is now asking for space as it confronts an intensely private loss.