Cindy Crawford, Kaia Gerber break silence on Presley Gerber's death

Article content

See more Toronto Sun on Google — save as a Preferred Source

Cindy Crawford says she is “beyond heartbroken” after the death of her son Presley Gerber, while his sister Kaia called him “the one true love of my life” in an emotional tribute.

Crawford, 60, took to Instagram on Sunday on behalf of the family to pay tribute to her son, writing, “We are beyond heartbroken to lose our beloved son and brother. We feel so blessed to have had Presley in our lives for 27 years.”

The former supermodel called her son “a sweet, beautiful soul who loved and is loved.”

“We are so proud of how he showed up in the world, with kindness and vulnerability,” Crawford continued. “We are grateful for the outpouring of love and support from so many who know and love our family and even strangers who feel our pain. Til we meet again our sweet boy. We love you forever, Mom, Dad and Kaia.”

Presley’s younger sister Kaia also shared a heartfelt tribute on Instagram.

“Prez, I don’t have the words, and maybe the tiny mercy is that we didn’t need them all along. Words fail and words subtract and words summarize and words always lack truth. And how naive of me to believe that language could transcend grief,” the model and actress wrote as part of a carousel that included a photo and video of them as children.

“I’ve read all of the books and I have none of the answers. My articulation is no match against this, the magnitude of losing you. I am, quite literally, down on my f***ing knees,” she continued. “You know how much I loved being your sister. It has always been, and will forever be, my favourite thing about myself. I came into this world with a white-knuckle grip around you. I had more love for you than I knew what to do with. And now that it has nowhere obvious to go, I’m certain it’s going to swallow me whole.”

Kaia ended her message by calling Presley her “best buddy, my great protector … and the one true love of my life.”

“You lit all my candles and took all of my monsters away. And I love you,” Kaia said.

Presley died at a rehab facility

According to online records from the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner, Presley died on Sept. 20 at a “rehab facility.”

“The family is asking for privacy during this very difficult and painful time,” a representative for the family told TMZ, shortly after the news broke.

Crawford was reportedly left “inconsolable” by her son’s death, with one insider telling Page Six the pair were extremely close.

The cause of Presley’s death has not yet been released, but in a statement shared with PEOPLE, Santa Monica Police said they are “investigating the death as a suspected overdose.”

TMZ reported that Presley showed up to the sober house where he died under the influence.

The outlet said Presley “was acting erratically and making troubling comments about why he had gotten high.”

Other sources told the website that Gerber had been given a prescription for ketamine — the same drug that was ruled the cause of Matthew Perry’s death in 2023.

Crawford said she was ‘proud’ of her kids

Presley and Kaia followed in Crawford’s footsteps by both becoming professional models. Among others, they appeared in campaigns for Dolce & Gabbana and Calvin Klein and became OMEGA ambassadors alongside their mother.

Crawford’s son also helped his mom recreate her famous 1992 Pepsi ad for a 2018 remake that aired during that year’s Super Bowl.

In a May interview with PEOPLE, Crawford reflected on collaborating with her husband and children for their partnership with clothing brand Vuori, saying she was “so proud” of watching her kids work together.

But away from the spotlight, Presley struggled with substance abuse.

In 2019, Gerber was charged with a DUI and was ordered to complete a DUI program after the incident.

According to Page Six, Gerber revealed in 2024 that he had struggled with prescription medication dependency and had suffered a near-fatal fentanyl overdose that left him in a coma.

In a recent interview with Vogue, Kaia spoke about what she called her brother’s “decade-long struggle with drug addiction” and his decision to be open with his fans about his battles.

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

A source, who has been close to Crawford, told PEOPLE that she and Rande were a constant presence in Presley’s life.

“This was never a situation involving two absent Hollywood parents,” the source said. “Cindy and Rande could not have been more supportive of Presley. They were always there for him and did everything they could to help him. The family has always been incredibly close, and Presley was deeply loved.”

mdaniell@postmedia.com