Presley Gerber appeared to be making progress in his long battle with substance abuse earlier this year. But in the months leading up to his sudden death at 27, people close to his family said the model’s condition had deteriorated drastically.
According to a source close to his mother, Cindy Crawford, Presley had become “really thin” and “gaunt” and was struggling with depression in the final weeks of his life. The source also claimed that he appeared jittery, did not sound like himself and sometimes struggled to make complete sense.
Presley Gerber was ‘far from the cover boy he used to be’ in his final months
Presley died on September 20, 2026, after checking into a rehabilitation facility in Santa Monica, California the previous night. His death is being investigated as a suspected overdose, but his official cause of death has not been confirmed. An autopsy has been completed, while the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner has deferred the cause pending further testing.
Earlier this year, Presley had spoken openly about his recovery and appeared hopeful about turning his life around. The son of Crawford and businessman Rande Gerber had told followers that he had “started finding my way back to myself” after years of substance abuse.
But according to an insider, Presley’s condition worsened over the three months before his death. A source told the Daily Mail that he had grown “really thin and pale,” adding that he was depressed and jittery during the weeks before his death. The source also claimed that he sometimes appeared confused or spoke in ways that did not make sense.
Presley was reportedly “getting high before he went to rehab,” and he went there as he could not kick the habit. The publisher noted:
“He looked terrible before he checked in; he was really thin and pale, his face was gaunt, and he was depressed in the weeks before his death, also jittery and didn’t make sense at times. He looked like he was on meth; he had that meth look, but no one knew for sure what he was taking… He was far from the cover boy he used to be.”
Presley had previously spoken about using substances and being to rehab multiple times. He had publicly expressed skepticism about treatment. His struggles with depression and anxiety reportedly dated back to his teenage years, and it reportedly worsened after he stepped into modeling. Despite the success, he continued to struggle with anxiety and pain. The Daily Mail revealed:
“He had been in rehab many times and didn’t like it. He was very vocal about saying rehab does not work. He even said on his show that rehab had a 98 percent failure rate, so he was not a fan.”
Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber tried to help their son
The source said Crawford and Rande remained heavily involved in Presley’s efforts to get sober and repeatedly pushed him to seek treatment. They were not going to give up on him, and in the process, they “tried another rehab center.” Presley “was in and out of rehab all the time.”
People close to the family said Cindy and Rande “spent a fortune” trying to get their son back. A source told the Daily Mail, “They are helicopter parents; they are super involved; they did not drop the ball here. They pushed and pushed for him to get better. No one can blame them. They did their research and felt they were doing the right thing.”
Cindy Crawford had also publicly supported Presley during his recovery journey. In March 2026, she called her son a “warrior” after he discussed undergoing an experimental ibogaine flood-dose treatment in Mexico as part of his efforts to address his substance use. But as Presley’s condition deteriorated, his family reportedly became increasingly concerned about the possibility of a fatal overdose. They “worried about fentanyl” and “were fighting to keep him alive.”
Gerber was reportedly found unresponsive around 9:35 a.m. on September 20, 2026. Officers performed life-saving measures, but he was pronounced dead about ten minutes later. Page Six reported that Gerber went into cardiac arrest before his death, citing 911 dispatch audio.
While the authorities have ruled out foulplay, they mentioned that Presley’s death appears to be a suspected overdose. Given that he was already in a rehab, his close ones are questioning how he got access to drugs inside the high-end facility. The Daily Mail quoted a source:
“Everyone wants to know how he died in rehab, a place that was supposed to save him. Presley may have snuck drugs in; no one knows at this point.”
Santa Monica police are investigating whether Gerber accessed drugs at the facility and, if so, where they came from.
Image Courtesy: Presley Gerber/Instagram, Cindy Crawford/Instagram
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