Kaia Gerber Shares Heartfelt Tribute to Late Brother Presley
Model posts deeply personal message and childhood videos nearly one month after Presley Gerber's death at 27 from an accidental overdose.
Model Kaia Gerber has broken her silence nearly a month after her brother, Presley Gerber, died at age 27 from an accidental drug overdose. She shared a raw and emotional tribute on social media, including home video footage of herself and her older sibling from their childhood.
Presley died on September 20 after going into cardiac arrest while staying at the Santa Monica rehab facility Resolutions Living. He was 27. His parents, supermodel Cindy Crawford and entrepreneur Rande Gerber, had previously released a joint statement expressing their heartbreak.
Kaia Gerber's tribute, shared on a Sunday, included a letter addressed to her late brother. "Prez, I don't have the words," she wrote. "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."
She described her profound sense of loss, stating, "I am, quite literally, down on my fing knees." Gerber emphasized the deep bond they shared, calling being his sister "my favorite thing about myself." She recalled their childhood, noting how Presley often went first when facing something difficult, like getting ears pierced. "And I really fing wish you hadn't gone first this time," she wrote.
Gerber reflected on her brother's character, writing, "you believed - always believed - in people. you met cruelty not with anger, but with confusion. and curiosity. you believed people were inherently good because, Presley, you are inherently good."
She also shared a quote Presley had written about a dream involving animals running from a fire into a lake, and his question, "if fear makes type of animal not matter." Kaia concluded this thought by saying, "you left me with the answer. Whatever kind of animal I was before this doesn't matter anymore. To say loving you was the easiest thing in the world would imply that it required any effort at all. I was born loving you. I will die loving you. There was never anything else."
Gerber continued to express the difficulty of navigating a world without him, "I am learning how to love you when I cannot see you. How to tell you something without picking up my phone to call you. How to be your sister in a world that I can't reach for you in. I don't know how to do that yet."
She concluded the heartfelt letter with, "My darling brother, I do adore you. I love my brother. My brother is dead. And this party sucks so bad without you, Prez. My best buddy, my great protector, the hardest I've ever laughed and the one true love of my life - you lit all of my candles and took all of my monsters away. And I love you. And I love you. And I love you."
The post was set to the song "First I Was" by Jake Minch, which Gerber noted was the last thing she and Presley had discussed.
Presley Gerber had been open about his struggles with drug addiction and mental health issues. In the months leading up to his death, he had spoken about taking a step back from social media to focus on his mental health and had undergone treatment, including a 'Pre-ibogaine flood dose' at a clinic in Mexico. His parents and sister had publicly supported his efforts.
Sources previously indicated that Presley had checked into Resolutions Living the day before his death and that there were concerns he had used drugs. The official cause of death will be determined by the Medical Examiner's toxicology report.
Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber had released a statement saying they were "beyond heartbroken" and "so proud of how he showed up in the world, with kindness and vulnerability."
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health issues, emotional distress, alcohol or drug use concerns, you can visit 988lifeline.org or call, text or chat with a counselor by texting 988.