Presley Gerber’s final Instagram posts reveal the heartbreaking mental health battle the supermodel was facing in the weeks before his death.
The son of supermodel Cindy Crawford and businessman Rande Gerber died suddenly at the age of 27 while at a rehabilitation facility on Sunday, TMZ reported.
“The family is asking for privacy during this very difficult and painful time,” a representative for the family told the outlet.
An autopsy is yet to be completed and authorities have not announced the cause of death.
Known for his modelling career alongside his younger sister, Kaia Gerber, Presley began his career in the fashion industry at the age of 15 and was featured in campaigns for fashion labels such as Dolce & Gabbana and Calvin Klein.
Despite his early success in the industry, Presley struggled with his mental health as a teen and was arrested for driving under the influence in 2019.
Last November, Presley revealed he had taken a step back from social media to “take care of my own mental health for a bit”.
A month later, the supermodel opened up about his personal life in a candid social media video, in which he listed the medication he takes for his “night terrors” and “panic attacks.”
“I feel like honesty is the best policy,” he began before sharing that he was on 1mg of Buprenorphine – used to treat both pain and opioid use disorders – twice a day.
“Unfortunately, I’ve had a lot of loss in many different forms recently, so that is not an excuse, but it’s the reason why I am where I’m at now,” he shared.
Presley went on to reveal he also regularly took Valium, but admitted that he didn’t know exactly how much he’d been taking due to a ‘lack of direction’ he had from doctors when it came to his medication.
“I’d like doctors to be like, ‘Take this three times a day.’ But every psychiatrist I’ve had — and I’ve had 15 — are like, ‘Here’s 20 medications and take this if you feel like this, take this as needed.’
“And I’m like, ‘No, don’t give me that much leeway.’ I need some direction.”
During an appearance on the Studio 22 podcast in 2023, Presley shared that his mental health was “such a big part of my life”, stating: “It’s a 24/7 job, and there’s so much to it.
“That is really what I want to do — help people, whether you’re depressed, you’re struggling with something that is having a negative effect on your body.”
His sister, supermodel Kaia Gerber, previously revealed that witnessing her brother’s honesty around his mental health had been ‘refreshing’.
“My parents for most of our lives were very, very private and didn’t share anything — and now we have this absolute teacher, my brother, who says, ‘I’m gonna be very human for everyone.’,” she told British Vogue in August.
“There’s only so much you can hide from the world, and trying to put a lid on something just makes the person feel like you’re ashamed of them.”
In May, Presley expressed gratitude for his father in a heartfelt Instagram post with a photo of them paddle boarding, captioned: “I have the best father in the world.
“He’s never given up on me. He’s always there for me. Always has the best advice for me. I appreciate this man more than words can explain. I love you pops. To more paddle boarding days around the world.”
His father responded in the comments, writing: “I am honored [to] take this ride called life with you over and over any time. Sometimes we may fall but with a little help always get back up. I love you forever Prez.”
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