Presley Gerber, the son of supermodel Cindy Crawford and businessman Rande Gerber, had spent recent years speaking publicly about his struggles with mental health and substance use. Before his death at 27, he said he hoped sharing his experiences could help other people feel less alone.
Gerber died on September 20, 2026, at a rehabilitation facility, according to Los Angeles County Medical Examiner records reported by PEOPLE. The cause of death has not been disclosed, and an autopsy had yet to be completed when the news was reported. His family has asked for privacy.
His openness had become an important part of his public life. Through interviews and a series of Instagram videos called “Mental Health Mondays,” Gerber discussed depression, recovery and the difficulty of finding support.
Presley Gerber Wanted Others to Know They Were Not Alone
Gerber spoke about his mental health on the Studio 22 podcast, explaining that his experiences had shaped what he wanted to do with his platform.
“Having struggled with mental health, depression and some other things that come along with that,” he said, he hoped to help people who were dealing with similar challenges.
He said helping even one person would matter to him.
“I think that whether I help one person or a hundred people get out of that place that I was in at one point in my life, that’s all I need to do,” he said.
Gerber also emphasized that mental-health struggles can take many forms and that people should not be judged for what they are experiencing.
“There’s no judgment,” he said, describing his desire to help people who were depressed or dealing with something negatively affecting their lives.
His “Mental Health Mondays” Videos Shared Lessons From Recovery
Gerber used Instagram to discuss his experiences and connect with people who might recognize parts of their own lives in his story.
In a 2024 “Mental Health Mondays” video, he talked about participating in recovery circles and finding common ground with others.
He also spoke about the role physical activity had played in his life. Gerber said he had been an active child, taking part in sports, surfing, water polo and swimming. When work took up more of his time, he said, those activities fell away and his quality of life declined.
He said it took him about 10 years to realize he needed to reconnect with physical activity.
In a July 2025 video, he discussed bringing healthier habits back into his routine.
Gerber Spoke About Feeling Misunderstood
Gerber’s public comments also touched on loneliness and the difficulty of asking for help.
In a December 2025 Instagram video, he discussed medications he had been prescribed for panic attacks and described experiencing significant loss.
He said he wanted to share what he was going through partly so that people watching would know they were not the only ones struggling.
He also hoped the video might connect him with people who could offer help or direct him toward someone who could.
Gerber had previously drawn public attention in 2020 after getting a face tattoo reading “MISUNDERSTOOD.” He appeared to have had the tattoo removed the following year. The tattoo later resurfaced in coverage of his life, but his own comments about mental health offer a more direct account of the experiences he chose to discuss publicly. <Cite refs={[“turn0search9″,”turn0news12”]}/>
Kaia Gerber Said Her Brother Changed the Family’s Approach to Privacy
Gerber’s sister, model and actress Kaia Gerber, reflected on the effect of his struggles on their family in a Vogue interview published in 2026.
She described his addiction as something that affected everyone at home and said she had come to see herself as “the easy one,” often putting her own needs aside.
Kaia also spoke about the contrast between her family’s longstanding privacy and Presley’s willingness to discuss difficult personal experiences.
She described him as “this absolute teacher” who was willing to be “very human for everyone.”
She added that trying to conceal a painful situation could leave the person experiencing it feeling as though their family was ashamed of them.
Her comments offered a glimpse of how Presley’s decision to speak openly affected those closest to him.
From Teen Model to a Public Conversation About Recovery
Presley Gerber began modeling as a teenager after signing with IMG Models at 15.
He made his runway debut for Moschino and went on to appear in fashion shows and campaigns, including work associated with Dolce & Gabbana and Calvin Klein. His younger sister Kaia also entered the modeling industry, and Presley said working alongside her made the experience less lonely.
Although the fashion world brought him public recognition, his later interviews increasingly focused on his personal experiences rather than his career.
He spoke about the mistakes he had made and said he hoped other people might learn from them without having to go through the same experiences themselves.
What Is Known About Presley Gerber’s Death
Gerber died on September 20 at a rehabilitation facility, according to records from the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner. He was 27.
The medical examiner had not disclosed a cause of death in the reports available at publication, and an autopsy had not yet been completed. No conclusion about the cause should be drawn from his previous public discussions of mental health, addiction or treatment.
A representative for Cindy Crawford, Rande Gerber and Kaia Gerber asked for privacy on behalf of the family during what the statement called a “very difficult and painful time.”
Gerber is survived by his parents and his sister.
His public comments leave behind a record of someone who chose to talk about difficult experiences in the hope that others facing similar struggles might feel understood and seek support.
