of the pain that had followed him for years. That honesty makes his death this week especially difficult to absorb: Presley Gerber, the only son of Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber and older brother of Kaia Gerber, died Sunday, September 20, 2026, at age 27, while staying at a rehab center.
From Reluctant Teen to Runway Model
Presley did not grow up dreaming of modeling, despite his mother’s fame. He once said he disliked being in front of a camera and had never seriously considered the industry.
That changed quickly in 2016. At 17, he made his runway debut at Moschino in Los Angeles, walked for Dolce & Gabbana in Milan, and landed a Calvin Klein campaign within weeks, entering a business his younger sister Kaia already knew well.
He described his early shows with disarming simplicity, saying his only goal at his Moschino debut was not to trip and to make it to the end of the runway. Travel to New York and Milan gradually turned nervous obligation into something he came to enjoy.
A Public Stumble and a Private Struggle
In January 2019, at 19, Presley was arrested in Beverly Hills after his Tesla was pulled over in what authorities described as a DUI stop. He was released without bail and later received three years of probation, a DUI program, and community service.
His attorney, Scott Spindel, noted at the time that Presley had no prior criminal record and was taking the allegations seriously. The arrest became a public marker of struggles that ran far deeper than a single night.
Becoming a Voice for Mental Health
By 2023, Presley was speaking openly about depression, describing his mental health care as a “24/7 job” he had committed to for years. On the “Studio 22 Podcast,” he said that helping even one other person out of the place he had once been in would be enough.
He credited therapy, music, yoga, and meditation with helping him do what he called a “deep dive” into himself. He also began developing an idea he called “Mental Health Mondays,” hoping to bring in professionals who had guided his own recovery and to eventually build a clothing line tied to mental health awareness.
In March 2026, he shared a video from Cancún describing addiction treatment he had just undergone, writing that he had been “absolutely terrified” and that he was praying it would be the last time he needed to return.
Final Months and Confirmation of His Death
In the months that followed, Presley appeared to be finding steadier footing. On May 20, he joined Kaia, Cindy, and Rande at the RE/DONE x Kaia Gerber “Short/Cuts” launch in Los Angeles, smiling alongside his family in what became the final public appearance with all four of them together.
On June 11, he took part in a mental health panel at the We Are ENOUGH x Aviator Nation event in Malibu, with his parents present. He told the audience, “The most free I felt was when I was finally honest with myself,” and offered simple advice for hard days: move your body, get outside, get some sun. It was his last public appearance.
Just over three months later, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner confirmed that Presley had died while staying at a rehab center. The cause of death remains undetermined, as an autopsy has not yet been completed.
A family spokesperson confirmed the death to TMZ the same day, saying, “The family is asking for privacy during this very difficult and painful time.” Presley Gerber was 27.