The death of Presley Gerber, Cindy Crawford’s only son, is being investigated as an overdose, police said Monday.
Gerber, the eldest son of Crawford and businessman Rande Gerber, died September 20 at a rehab facility in Los Angeles, according to the county’s medical examiner. He was 27.
A representative for Presley’s parents and his younger sister, 25-year-old Kaia Gerber, confirmed the death and told The Independent in a statement: “The family is asking for privacy during this very difficult and painful time.”
Santa Monica police were called to the facility at around 9:35 a.m. Sunday, investigators told The Independent in a statement. Officers found Gerber dead at the scene.
“SMPD detectives are investigating the death as a suspected overdose,” officials said. “At this time, there is no indication of foul play.”
His official cause of death has yet to be disclosed by the County of Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner.
The medical examiner said in a statement that “limited information is currently available” about the death, but that Gerber was pronounced dead by responding paramedics at 9:45 a.m.
“A deputy medical examiner performed an examination today and the cause and manner of death have been deferred, which means additional testing and/or studies were requested in order to make a determination,” the statement said.
“Due to the ongoing death investigation, the DME cannot disclose what testing and/or studies were requested. Deferred cases can take a few months before a cause of death is determined.”
Gerber was a fashion model who worked with brands including Burberry, Dolce & Gabbana and Calvin Klein.
He was open about his struggles with substance abuse and mental health issues in the years before his death.
In March, Presley posted a video of himself using experimental drug Ibogaine in a drug withdrawal treatment called pre Ibogaine Flood Dose. The psychedelic drug is illegal in the U.S., but Presley was undergoing the treatment in Cancun, Mexico.
He captioned the post, in part, “i was absolutely terrified, and I knew I would be again if I ever had to face something like this (helps to not go into the situations you do that get ya there but that’s life sometimes.) (my mantras were love yourself and lis gotta be the last time for this reason. 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.”
“We shall see,” he wrote. “Praying it’s the last time I have to come back. Next time I’d like to choose.”
If you or someone you know is suffering from drug addiction, you can seek confidential help and support 24-7 from Frank, by calling 0300 123 6600, texting 82111, sending an email or visiting their website here.
In the US, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration can be reached at 1-800-662-HELP.
