Cindy Crawford's Agony Mirrors Her Own Childhood Loss After Son Presley's Death
The supermodel is grappling with the loss of her son, Presley Gerber, who died at 27, a grief she knows intimately from losing her own brother as a child.
Model Cindy Crawford is experiencing profound grief following the death of her son, Presley Gerber, who passed away on Sunday at the age of 27. Presley, who followed in his mother's modeling footsteps, had spoken openly in recent years about his struggles with mental health and substance abuse. His cause of death is under investigation, but a drug overdose is suspected.
Crawford herself understands the depth of this pain, having lost her own younger brother, Jeffrey, to leukemia when she was just ten years old. Growing up in Illinois, Cindy was the middle of three sisters, and her brother's death at the age of four, after a two-year illness, has deeply affected her throughout her life.
In a 2024 podcast, Crawford reflected on the survivor's guilt she experienced, particularly as she knew her father had longed for a son. She also shared how the birth of her own children, Presley and Kaia, had altered her perspective on her childhood loss. "When I had my first kid [Presley], I called my mom, and I was like: 'How did you survive?'" she recounted. "Because you can't imagine losing a child until you have a child, and even then, you don't want to imagine it."
Presley Gerber, born in 1999, embarked on a modeling career at age 15. He appeared in campaigns for brands like Calvin Klein alongside his sister, walked for Moschino, and graced the cover of GQ. However, his public life was also marked by his candid discussions about his mental health journey. In 2019, he was charged with driving under the influence, and he later got the word "Misunderstood" tattooed across his face, explaining it reflected how he felt his entire life. He had the tattoo removed.
In recent years, Presley used Instagram to share his experiences through video diaries titled "Mental Health Mondays," documenting his struggles with depression, rehabilitation, and alternative therapies. In March, he revealed he had undergone experimental treatment with Ibogaine, a psychedelic drug used to treat substance dependence, in Mexico. A fellow patient at the clinic described him as a "very sweet person" who was open about his reasons for being there.
His sister, Kaia Gerber, had spoken about the family's dynamic and her brother's willingness to share his struggles. "When something like that happens in a family, it kind of levels everyone," she told Vogue a month before Presley's death. "I think that's also why I started to self-identify as the easy one and never wanted to ask for help. Because it felt like too much to have two children who were needing."
Crawford, her husband Rande Gerber, and their children were featured in an advertising campaign for an activewear brand last spring, a collection of photographs that now serve as a poignant reminder of happier times. The family friend noted that while Kaia has friends and a boyfriend supporting her, Crawford is deeply concerned about the long-term impact of Presley's death on her daughter, recognizing that such a loss can stay with a person for life.
Presley's journey with mental health began early. Diagnosed with ADHD and OCD as a teenager, he began taking antidepressants. His later struggles involved a complex regimen of medications for various conditions, coupled with periods of global travel for his modeling career. Despite the challenges, he was described by those who knew him as a promising, fun-loving young man who was proud of his roots and deeply loved his family. He expressed a desire to overcome his addiction, but acknowledged it was a recurring part of his life. His parents were consistently supportive throughout his attempts to get help.