Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber ‘heartbroken’ over death of ‘sweet’ son Presley

Rande Gerber, Cindy Crawford, Kaia Gerber and Presley Gerber at the Fashion Awards in 2018placeholder image
Rande Gerber, Cindy Crawford, Kaia Gerber and Presley Gerber at the Fashion Awards in 2018

They paid tribute to their son in an emotional statement posted on Instagram on Sunday.

US supermodel Cindy Crawford and businessman Rande Gerber said they were “beyond heartbroken” in a tribute to their “sweet beautiful” son Presley.

Their eldest child died aged 27 at a rehab facility on September 20, according to Los Angeles County Medical Examiner records.

The cause of his death has not been disclosed.

Crawford and Gerber paid tribute to their son in an emotional statement posted on Instagram on Sunday.

“We are beyond heartbroken to lose our beloved son and brother,” it said.

“We feel so blessed to have had Presley in our lives for 27 years.

“He is a sweet, beautiful soul who loved and is loved, now and forever.

“We are so proud of how he showed up in the world, with kindness and vulnerability.

“We are grateful for the outpouring of love and support from so many who know and love our family and even strangers who feel our pain.

“Til we meet again our sweet boy.”

The message was signed “with love forever” from them both, and their model daughter, Kaia Gerber.

Kaia, who also expressed her support in the comments, shared a message on her own page alongside a carousel of images and videos of herself and Presley through the years.

In a letter addressed to her brother, she said: “Prez, I don’t have the words.

“Maybe the tiny mercy is that we didn’t need them all along.

“Words fail and words subtract and words summarise and words always lack truth, and how naive of me to believe that language could transcend grief.”

Kaia said she had “none of the answers” and could not articulate the “magnitude” of losing her brother.

“You know how much I loved being your sister.

“It has always been, and will forever be, my favourite thing about myself.”

The letter described her older brother as “inherently good” and her “ultimate teacher”, recounting childhood memories as she reflected on her grief.

“I am learning how to love you when I cannot see you,” Kaia continued.

“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.”

Kaia concluded: “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.”

The post was set to First I Was by Jake Minch, which Kaia described as “the last thing we talked about”.

It was flooded with condolences from fellow stars, including US actors Taylor Lautner and Patrick Schwarzenegger, singer Suki Waterhouse and socialite Paris Hilton.

Hilton wrote: “My heart breaks for you and your family.

“Presley was truly one of a kind, and I feel so lucky to have known him.

“I’ll always remember him with so much love.”

Presley was signed by IMG Models when he was 15 and modelled for brands including Burberry, Dolce & Gabbana, and Bottega Veneta.

He spoke frequently about his struggles with depression and substance abuse.

In March, he posted a video of himself undergoing drug withdrawal treatment known as a “pre ibogaine flood dose” in Cancun, Mexico.

Ibogaine is a naturally occurring psychedelic substance that has attracted attention for its potential use in treating substance use disorders, particularly opioid and alcohol dependence.

Its use remains experimental, and it is not an established treatment available on the NHS. It is illegal in the US but can be possessed and administered in Mexico.

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