Kaia Gerber’s ‘21 Days of Hell’ Since Brother Presley’s Death

Three weeks after the death of her brother Presley, Kaia Gerber has reportedly been grieving privately at home, with her boyfriend by her side. The 25-year-old model has been in shock and has struggled to eat as she processes the loss.

On Sunday afternoon, however, Gerber was seen leaving a Los Angeles gym in an all-black outfit and sunglasses. The outing marked a small step toward restoring a daily routine, encouraged by her mother, supermodel Cindy Crawford.

Presley Gerber, 27, died after suffering cardiac arrest on September 20 while staying at the Santa Monica rehabilitation center Resolutions Living. His death, which was suspected to be linked to an overdose, has left his younger sister struggling to cope.

“She was in total shock, so it was a huge emotional process simply to understand that she would never see her brother again,” a source close to the family told the Daily Mail. The insider said Kaia is “still struggling” with the loss.

Following Presley’s death, Kaia, the daughter of Crawford, 60, and businessman Rande Gerber, 64, reportedly remained at home with her boyfriend, 33-year-old actor Lewis Pullman.

“She created a little cocoon at home, with friends coming by to see her,” the source said. “She tried to keep herself together, but she wasn’t eating much and had very little appetite.” The insider connected that struggle to Gerber’s comments about experiencing “disordered eating” after entering the public eye, which she discussed in an August interview with Vogue.

“She hasn’t cut her hair or had her nails done, and she has spent the entire time in sweats,” the source added. “Her mom has encouraged her to maintain some kind of routine as she works through her grief. That’s why Kaia went to the gym.”

Gerber has also relied on friends and relatives for emotional support. Among those said to be checking in are actress Laura Dern and influencer Jake Shane, alongside Pullman.

“Cindy and Rande have really been there for Kaia, as has George [Clooney],” the source said. “They are doing everything they can to make sure she is OK.”

Despite the family tragedy, Gerber is expected to resume work soon. In addition to her modeling commitments, she is set to appear with Pullman and Dylan O’Brien in Bulls, an upcoming thriller written and directed by James Morosini. According to the source, production is expected to begin before the end of the year, with costume fittings potentially taking place as early as next month.

“It’s helpful that Lewis, who has been her ‘rock’ during this time, is also her co-star,” the insider said. “They are closer than ever, and he can continue looking after her.”

The film will be shot on location and is expected to place significant demands on Gerber, who has a leading role as a “hedonistic” woman who cheats on her husband, played by Pullman. While she is committed to the project, the production schedule could reportedly be pushed back if necessary.

“This will be difficult for Kaia, and Cindy is naturally very worried as a mother,” the source said.

Kaia and Presley were said to have shared a particularly close bond. In the immediate aftermath of his death, sources told the Daily Mail that the entire family was concerned about how she was coping.

Presley had checked into the Santa Monica facility Resolutions Living the day before he was found dead on September 20.

In footage obtained by TMZ from the night before he died, the model was seen giving a solo tour of the sober home while wearing a white undershirt that showed off his prominent tattoos, a silver chain necklace and a pair of black eyeglasses.

Presley appeared visibly under the influence in the clip, taken around 10pm, as he stared into the camera with noticeably glazed eyes. Throughout the video, he panned the camera around a bedroom and multiple areas of the residence, appearing to be on his own.

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Presley reportedly ‘got high’ on Saturday afternoon and became concerned he was losing control, insiders claimed to TMZ. His sober coach had called the living facility and asked if he could bring Presley in – though he made it clear that Presley was high on drugs – and the facility’s admissions officer reportedly agreed, the outlet reported.

The sober coach had reportedly planned to take Presley to a rehab facility the following Monday but needed a temporary hold for the weekend and ended up leaving him at Resolutions Living, according to insiders. Sources also claimed that Presley continued using drugs inside the sober home.

His remains were ‘cremated‘ just days after his passing at the Rose Family Funeral Home, per a death certificate obtained by TMZ. Crawford and Gerber will reportedly keep their son’s ashes at their residence.

A final confirmation of any substances that may have played a role in his death must wait until the Medical Examiner’s toxicology report is released.

The Daily Mail previously obtained audio of the 911 emergency dispatch call made from the Santa Monica rehab, in which an automated voice could be heard saying ‘cardiac arrest’ followed by ‘overdose.’

The first call was made on Sunday, September 20 at 9.35am regarding a cardiac arrest, however, just three minutes later it was upgraded to an ‘overdose,’ then finally at 9.40am the priority was upped once again as it was ‘upgraded.’

Presley – who started modeling from a young age like his sister – had been open about his decade-long struggle with drug addiction and mental health problems before his death. 

Last November, Presley revealed he had taken a step back 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 social media video and started sharing ‘Mental Health Mondays’ videos on his Instagram. In one, he listed the medication he takes for ‘night terrors’ and ‘panic attacks,’ saying his use of medication had been ‘fluctuating up and down depending on what’s been going on in my life.’

Earlier this year, he posted about having a ‘Pre-ibogaine flood dose’ at a Mexican treatment clinic, a single, high-dose administration of the naturally occurring psychoactive substance ibogaine that is reported to help with withdrawal symptoms. The high dose is designed to induce a profound ‘reset.’

Presley’s parents and his sister Kaia praised him for his ‘courage’ in response to his post about starting the treatment in March.

Crawford commented: ‘You are a warrior! Walked thru the fire to find yourself! So proud!’ while Kaia added: ‘That’s my brother I am so damn proud.’

And Kaia wrote: ‘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.’

Presley’s death came just weeks after Kaia opened up about the enormous toll her brother’s struggles had taken on their famous family.

‘When something like that happens in a family, it kind of levels everyone,’ Kaia told Vogue.

But for all the concerns for Kaia, our source said: ‘Kaia has not had it easy in her 25 years, but she will hang in there, she is a very strong person.’

The Daily Mail has reached out to representatives for Kaia and Crawford for comment.

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health struggles, emotional distress, alcohol or drug use concerns, you can also visit 988lifeline.org. You can also call, text or chat with a counselor by texting 988.