Presley Gerber was open about his struggles with mental health and substance use before his death at 27.
The son of model Cindy Crawford and businessman Rande Gerber passed away Sunday.
“The family is asking for privacy during this very difficult and painful time,” a statement on behalf of his family noted.
Gerber, who began modeling as a teen, once called dealing with mental health issues a “24/7 job” and posted candid videos he called “Mental Health Mondays” on his Instagram page.
How Did Presley Gerber Die? What We Know
Gerber died at a “rehab facility,” according to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner.
No cause of death was given, but an exam of his body has been scheduled, the website entry notes.
Police responded to a report of a possible overdose at about 9:35 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 20, and found “an adult male who was deceased,” the Santa Monica Police Department said in a statement.
Detectives are investigating the death “as a suspected overdose. At this time, there is no indication of foul play,” the statement noted.
A law enforcement source told NBC News that he was found unresponsive at the rehab facility in Los Angeles on Sunday morning. He had checked into the facility at 10 p.m. the night before. The sourced added that he had likely been dead for some time when he was found in the room where he was sleeping.
He Spoke About Mental Health at an Event a Few Months Before His Death
In June, Gerber appeared with his parents at an event in Malibu, California, where he took part in a “candid panel discussion about mental health,” People magazine reported. It was his last public appearance.
“The most free I felt was when I was finally honest with myself,” he told the audience.
The model also offered advice about boosting mental health: “Move your body regardless of how you’re feeling. Get outside. Get some sun,” he said. “If you don’t feel like moving, lay on the grass.”
In December 2025, Presley spoke about his struggles in a since-deleted video on Instagram, revealing he’d largely given up drinking in recent years, noting that alcohol was “no longer serving” him, E! News reported.
He said he was taking various medications including Valium — the brand name for diazepam, which is used to relieve anxiety and control agitation caused by alcohol withdrawal — and buprenorphine, a medication to treat opioid use disorder, according to E! News.
He added he was also taking Xanax, the brand name for alprazolam, which is used to treat anxiety and panic disorders, for “when the panic attacks are really, really bad,” but was seeking more direction about his dosages.
“Every psychiatrist I’ve had — and I’ve had, like, 15 — they’re all like, ‘Here’s 20 medications,’” Gerber said. “‘Take this if you feel like this, take this as needed.’ And I’m like, ‘No, don’t give me that much leeway. I need some direction.’”
He Was a Mental Health Advocate
In a 2023 podcast, he said he struggled with mental health and depression, and wanted to help others dealing with similar issues.
“Whether I help one person or a 100 people get out of that place that I was in at one point in my life, that’s all I need to do,” Gerber said.
“I’ve had a lot of time to look into myself and learn about myself with therapists.”
Mental health is “such a big part of my life,” he added, calling his focus on it a “24/7 job” and noting “there’s no judgement.”
“I’ve seen a lot of stuff and I’ve learned a lot of things, and what I hope I can do is have made the mistakes for some other people so they don’t have to make the same mistakes that I made,” he said.
He Tried Ibogaine
In a video he posted on Instagram in March, Gerber was seen in Cancun, Mexico, taking part in what he describes as a “Pre Ibogaine Flood Dose — quiet moment before everything changed.”
“I was absolutely terrified,” he writes in the caption. “Letting go of control didn’t come easy, but I trusted there was something bigger than me guiding it. I knew why i was there. I faced what I had been running from, and somewhere in all of it, i started finding my way back to myself.”
Ibogaine, a psychoactive compound found in the root of Tabernanthe iboga, a shrub native to Central Africa, has been studied for its potential in treating opioid and alcohol addiction, and other substance use disorders, according to the University of Virginia Division of Medical Toxicology.
It has hallucinogenic properties, and may prevent cravings and withdrawal.
Sister Kaia Gerber Spoke About His Addiction Struggles in a Recent Interview
After Gerber posted the candid video about his struggles in December, his younger sister, Kaia, praised his honesty 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.’ 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,” she told Vogue.
The outlet noted that he had a “decade-long struggle with drug addiction.”
If you or someone you know is struggling or in emotional distress, call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org 24/7 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. For additional resources, visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources.
