Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber break silence on son Presley's death at 27
Family statement arrives a month after he died at a rehab facility, IMG-signed model spoke openly of depression and substance abuse
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Rande Gerber and Cindy Crawford with their son Presley Gerber, who died on 20 September. Photograph: Rodin Eckenroth/WireImage
theguardian.com
Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber have posted their first public statement on the death of their son Presley, roughly a month after the 27-year-old died on 20 September. "We are beyond heartbroken to lose our beloved son and brother," the couple wrote on Instagram on Sunday, describing him as "a sweet, beautiful soul who loved and is loved, now and forever." No cause of death was disclosed in the statement.
Los Angeles county medical examiner records place the death at a rehab facility, and a related report describes the case as being investigated as a suspected overdose. Presley Gerber was the eldest child of Crawford and Rande Gerber, co-founder of the Casamigos tequila brand. He was signed by IMG Models at 15 and went on to model for Burberry, Dolce & Gabbana and Bottega Veneta, and he spent his twenties cycling through identities — modelling, music, a face tattoo he said was meant to "take his face back." He spoke frequently about his struggles with depression and substance abuse.
His sister Kaia, who like her mother is a model, published her own tribute alongside a carousel of images and videos. "Prez, I don't have the words," her letter began. "Maybe the tiny mercy is that we didn't need them all along." She called her older brother "inherently good" and her "ultimate teacher," and wrote that she was "learning how to love you when I cannot see you. How to tell you something without picking up my phone to call you." The post was set to "First I Was" by Jake Minch — the last thing the two had talked about, she wrote. Comments came from Paris Hilton, Taylor Lautner, Patrick Schwarzenegger and Suki Waterhouse.
The parents' statement said the family felt "so blessed to have had Presley in our lives for 27 years" and "so proud of how he showed up in the world, with kindness and vulnerability." It thanked "so many who know and love our family and even strangers who feel our pain," and closed with the words "Til we meet again our sweet boy."
The medical examiner's records list a rehab facility as the place of death. The family's statement does not mention one.