Kaia Gerber’s Family Worried About Her After Brother Presley’s Death

Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber spent years trying to shield their son, Presley Gerber, from drugs and support him through his struggles.

The supermodel and businessman devoted much of their attention to helping Presley, who reportedly developed an addiction during his teenage years while working in the modeling industry as a Calvin Klein model.

Despite their efforts, Presley died last Sunday at age 27 in a Santa Monica, California, rehabilitation facility from what is suspected to have been an overdose.

Throughout those difficult years, however, Crawford and Gerber also remained focused on protecting their other child.

The couple took particular care to safeguard their 25-year-old daughter, Kaia.

A source close to the family told the Daily Mail that Crawford and Gerber closely monitored Kaia because they were determined to prevent her from facing the same challenges as her brother.

According to the source, Kaia remained at her Malibu high school until she was 16 and completed her junior year before pursuing modeling as a full-time career.

Presley took a different path, leaving high school at 15 to work in New York and across Europe. He continued studying while modeling and ultimately graduated on schedule at 17.

Now mourning the loss of the brother she frequently described as her “best friend,” Kaia has become the focus of her parents’ concern.

The source said Kaia is struggling to process Presley’s death, explaining that the reality of losing him has not fully registered and that the grief has been overwhelming.

The family is reportedly worried about how she will cope, but Kaia has a strong support system, including longtime friends who have been helping her through the loss.

Kaia recently told Vogue that she tried to be the “easy child” because Presley required so much attention. In the aftermath of his death, she may now need even greater support from her parents.

The source identified Kaia’s parents and her boyfriend, Lewis, along with his father, Bill, as some of her strongest sources of comfort.

Friends from her childhood in Malibu have also rallied around her. “She has plenty of Malibu friends,” the source said, adding that many former classmates have reached out because Kaia is widely liked.

Kaia’s celebrity friends have offered support as well. Kendall Jenner reportedly checked on her, while Kendall’s mother, Kris Jenner, sent flowers.

Kaia has also stepped away from her modeling and acting commitments as she takes time to grieve and recover emotionally.

With Kaia’s schedule previously filled with professional commitments, she has postponed much of her work while dealing with the family tragedy. “Everyone has been understanding,” the source said, though it remains unclear when she will return to work.

Kaia, whom the source says ‘has never done drugs and is squeaky clean,’ is sad that people she loves are drawn toward drugs. 

‘Kaia feels like she can’t get away from this drug stuff and it makes her depressed,’ said the source. ‘She hates drugs and doesn’t touch them and is so sad they took Presley away from her. She and Presley were best friends.’

This is not the first time the couple has worked hard to make sure their only daughter is safe.

They also stepped in to help the young Vogue cover girl in late December 2019. The famous couple flew to New York City when their daughter seemed to be having problems with her then-boyfriend Pete Davidson, now 32, who is best known for his work on Saturday Night Live.

At the time, it was suspected that Davidson was on drugs. In the past, the comedian has admitted to using Ketamine, cocaine, LSD and marijuana.

EXPLORE MORE: Democratic Duo Fuel Speculation About 2028 Presidential Ticket

‘She already went through this before with Pete, whom she dated for a while,’ began the source.

‘Kaia had a very hard time with Pete. She dated Pete for like four or five months in late 2019, and she was instantly smitten because he has so much charisma and is smart and hilarious, but then he took a bad turn. He used to do drugs, and he went back on drugs at the time. He was a mess,’ said the source.

Things came to a head, though it is not known what caused their relationship meltdown. 

‘When Pete flipped out on her, both her parents stepped in. They flew to NYC to meet with them, and they said “No way,”‘ said the source.

Crawford and Gerber put on a unified front as they came to the rescue. ‘They are amazing parents and did the right thing. They were like, “Come home now, Kaia,”‘ explained the source.

‘New York City is a hard place for anyone, especially sheltered kids from Malibu. Cindy is a very tough mama bear. They made her walk away from Pete because of his history with drugs and all his rehab visits.’

Davidson has been sober for the past two years, and has been outspoken about his sobriety journey, often mentioning that fatherhood and other milestones have inspired him to stay off drugs. The actor welcomed daughter Scottie Rose Hewitt Davidson in December 2025 with then-partner Elsie Hewitt. The couple broke up in May.

Crawford and Gerber also worried about the age difference between Kaia and Davidson. 

‘Pete was much older than Kaia, like seven years older. At the time he was like 26, and she was only 18.’

Working like adults in a busy city was a lot for Kaia and Presley to take. 

‘Kaia and Presley were seriously decent, nice kids from Malibu who were getting their first taste of fame at the time,’ shared the source. ‘They were new models in New York City, and everyone thought they were amazing. They were just learning the ropes though and were not used to the ugly side of New York City.’

According to the family insider, Kaia’s life improved after she left Manhattan.

‘After Kaia left Pete, she also left New York City to spend some time with her parents in Los Angeles,’ said the source.

On January 15, 2020, Crawford was photographed at a New York airport taking her mini-me daughter to Los Angeles. 

‘I seriously think Kaia needed a time out. She totally grounded herself by fostering dogs, and that is when she started to read books like crazy. She healed herself,’ the source said. 

And Presley was not seen much in New York City after the summer of 2020 either, with the siblings appearing to have moved back to the West Coast together. ‘At about the same time Presley left New York City for LA,’ the source said. 

On Thursday, longtime family friend and Kaia’s Palm Royale costar Laura Dern was seen dropping off a bouquet at her home.

The Daily Mail has reached out to representatives for Crawford, Gerber, Davidson, and Jenner.

Presley’s death is being investigated by the Santa Monica Police Department as a suspected overdose after he was found deceased on September 20, 2026, at the luxury recovery facility Resolutions Living in Santa Monica.

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner has completed the autopsy, but official cause and manner of death are deferred pending toxicology results, which can take several weeks or months.

Detectives have stated there is currently no indication of foul play, but they are actively trying to trace the source and supplier of the substances involved.

Presley had checked into the facility about 12 hours before being found unresponsive.

Funeral plans have not yet been announced.