Cindy Crawford had called her son Presley Gerber a “warrior” just months before his death at 27 on Sunday.
The 60-year-old supermodel, her 25-year-old daughter Kaia and husband Rande Gerber, 64, stood by Presley in March after he shared an Instagram post about undergoing ibogaine treatment in Mexico.
Ibogaine is a naturally occurring psychoactive compound sourced from an African shrub. It has been reported to ease withdrawal symptoms and help reset neural pathways.
Following Presley’s post, his family offered messages of encouragement. Crawford wrote, “You are a warrior! Walked thru the fire to find yourself! So proud!”
Kaia echoed that support, writing, “That’s my brother. I am so damn proud.”
Rande also praised his son’s determination, saying, “I’m so proud of you and your courage. Facing what’s hard takes real strength and watching you find your way back to yourself is everything. I love you so much.”
Cindy Crawford, 60, described her son Presley Gerber as a “warrior” months before his death at 27 on Sunday; pictured in November 2024
The supermodel supported Presley in March after he revealed on Instagram that he had undergone ibogaine treatment in Mexico; pictured September 10
In the post’s caption, Presley described the moments before receiving the treatment: “Pre Ibogaine Flood Dose – quiet moment before everything changed. 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.)”
He continued: “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…. Praying it’s the last time I have to come back.”
Presley added: “Next time I’d like to choose. And absolutely can’t forget the incredible caring kind and on their sh*t team. Helps a lot haha. And I made some dope ass friends there #iboga #ibogaine #rewireyourbrain #loveyourself #mentalhealth.”
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner confirmed that Presley died Sunday at a rehabilitation facility, according to TMZ. Authorities have not disclosed his cause of death.
In an interview with Vogue last month, Kaia spoke about the effect of Presley’s substance use and mental health challenges on their family.
“When something like that happens in a family, it kind of levels everyone,” she told the magazine.
As the family mourns Presley’s unexpected death, a representative for Crawford told the Daily Mail, “The family is asking for privacy during this very difficult and painful time.”
Presley entered the modeling industry at 15 and later appeared in campaigns for brands including Dolce & Gabbana and Calvin Klein.
Ibogaine, a psychoactive substance found naturally in an African shrub, has been reported to help manage withdrawal symptoms and alter brain pathways
After Presley shared details of his treatment, his family responded with messages of support, including Cindy Crawford’s words: “You are a warrior! Walked thru the fire to find yourself! So proud!”
Presley died Sunday at a rehabilitation facility, TMZ reported. His cause of death remains undisclosed; pictured with mother Cindy Crawford in 2018, and with his family at a 2024 wedding
He had reportedly experienced mental health difficulties from a young age and was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence in 2019.
Last November, Presley revealed he was retreating from social media to ‘take care of my own mental health for a bit.’
One month later, he opened up about his personal life in a candid video shared online, listing medications he was taking for ‘night terrors’ and ‘panic attacks.’
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‘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.
Presley also shared that the ‘benzos have been fluctuating up and down depending on what’s been going on in my life.’
Benzodiazepines help ‘slow down activity in your brain and nervous system’ to treat ‘anxiety and related mental health conditions,’ per Cleveland Clinic.
‘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.
He did not go into detail about the ‘loss’ he referenced, but went on to explain that he also took a dose of Xanax at night or when his ‘panic attacks are really, really bad.’
The model then listed Valium, admitting that he didn’t know exactly how much he’d been taking as he said, ‘Who f***ing knows anymore.’
He noted in the Instagram reel that ‘doctors say a lot of different things so it’s kind of scary. But hopefully between my research and their research and the world and God, we can finally figure this out.’
Presley also talked about the 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,’ he continued.
Cindy and Rande pictured with a baby Presley in 2000
Kaia recently told Vogue magazine that witnessing her brother’s honesty about his personal struggles was ‘refreshing’; the siblings pictured in February 2024
Kaia told Vogue her brother’s troubles made her want to be the ‘easy’ child.
She explained, ‘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.’
She told the magazine that witnessing her brother’s honesty was ‘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.” There’s only so much you can hide from the world,’ she said.
‘And trying to put a lid on something just makes the person feel like you’re ashamed of them,’ she noted.
This past May, Presley expressed gratitude for his father in a heartfelt Instagram post.
He posted a photo of them paddle boarding and wrote, ‘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.’
Cindy showed her support in the comments, writing, ‘My boys!’ and the father of two wrote, ‘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.’