Presley Gerber seemed to be searching for answers in the months ahead of his tragic passing.
The one and only son born to supermodel Cindy Crawford and her businessman husband, Rande Gerber, lost his life in a rehab facility on September 20 at the age of 27.
Cindy had replied to an emotional video her son shared in December, in which he admitted feeling “alone” most of the time.
Presley Gerber seemed to be searching for answers in the months ahead of his tragic passing
Both Presley and his sister Kaia Gerber followed in their mother’s footsteps to become models.
Presley was 15 when he signed with IMG Models and made his runway debut for Italian label Moschino at 16.
He has walked the runway for Burberry, Dolce & Gabbana, Ralph Lauren, and Tommy Hilfiger and appeared in Calvin Klein, Pepsi, and Omega campaigns.
At the age of 19, Presley was pulled over for speeding in Beverly Hills and was arrested for DUI. He pleaded no contest to the misdemeanor charge in 2019 and was sentenced to three years of probation, community service, and a DUI program.
In 2020, he tattooed “MISUNDERSTOOD” on his face but seemed to have removed it about a year later.
Over the years, Presley candidly spoke about his mental health issues, his panic attacks, and his dependence on illicit substances.
Presley spoke about the large inventory of medication he had to deal with in an honest December video
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“I feel like honesty is the best policy,” he said in one December video, where he listed out the inventory of medication he was taking at the time.
These included Buprenorphine, prescribed for dependence on op*oid, Xanax for when the “panic attacks are really, really bad,” and Valium, which he didn’t know exactly how much he had been taking because “who f***ing knows anymore,” he said.
The youngster admitted it was “scary” because doctors say “a lot of different things.”
“I’m just looking for a doctor that’s going to actually help me taper. Every psychiatrist I’ve had… And I’ve had like 15… They’re all just like, ‘Well, here’s 20 medications,’” he said, expressing his frustration.
Presley said he hoped to find a “good community of people” who can be “good influences” on him as he had “grown up in Hollywood.”
As for the intention behind his video, he said: “I’m hoping this reaches people. So you feel like you’re not alone because that is how I feel most of the time.”
Cindy responded to her son’s video after he admitted feeling “alone” most of the time
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At the time, Beverly Hills Psychiatrist Dr. Carole Lieberman had commented on his video and said he was a “walking time bomb.”
“What I think Presley is doing through this video is cry for help. In a way, he’s a walking time bomb,” she told ET at the time.
Cindy, who had seen her son’s video in December, commented on his video to express her support.
“Presley — we love you, and you are not alone,” his mother said.
The mega-famous mom’s daughter Kaia recently addressed her older brother’s struggles with substance use.
Unlike their parents, who were “very, very private” for most of their lives, Kaia said her brother took a different approach with sharing his troubles.
“Now we have this absolute teacher, my brother, who says, ‘I’m gonna be very human for everyone,’” she told Vogue last month. “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.”
Cindy’s daughter Kaia spoke about how her brother’s approach was different from her private parents
Kaia also admitted the effect her brother’s decade-long use of substances had on her family.
Such an experience “levels everyone” in the family, and it also forced her to be more self-sufficient, the 24-year-old model said.
“I think that’s also why I started to self-identify as the easy one and never wanted to ask for help. Because it felt like too much to have two children who were needing,” she told the outlet.
Kaia said she felt forced to be the “easy” child as her brother struggled with substance use for a decade
In one of his final social media posts before his passing, Presley shared a video of himself in March before undergoing an “ibogaine flood dose” in Mexico.
Ibogaine is a naturally occurring psychedelic that comes from the root bark of the Central West African shrub Tabernanthe iboga, believed to help with withdrawal symptoms in the wake of heavy substance use.
His entire family expressed support at the time, with Cindy commenting, “You are a warrior! Walked thru the fire to find yourself! So proud!”
“That’s my brother. I am so damn proud,” Kaia said.
His father, Rande, also said he was proud of Presley and his courage.
“Facing what’s hard takes real strength, and watching you find your way back to yourself is everything,” the father said. “I love you so much.”
Presley’s cause of passing was not immediately disclosed after he lost his life at a rehab facility.
“The family is asking for privacy during this very difficult and painful time,” the Gerbers said in a statement.
“All the money in the world can’t save you,” one commented online
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