A family's public grief
Cindy Crawford has publicly mourned her son Presley Gerber, saying she and her relatives are beyond heartbroken. In an Instagram post accompanying a black-and-white photograph of him, the supermodel described him as a sweet, beautiful soul who both gave and received love, and said the family was proud of the kindness and openness with which he moved through the world. She added that the family felt fortunate to have had him for 27 years and thanked those who had offered support, including people who never knew him but shared the family's sorrow.[S1][S2][S3][S4][S5][S6][S7][S8]
The tribute listed his birth and death dates and closed with a farewell from his mother, father and sister, signed with an angel-wing emoji. Gerber died on 20 September at a rehabilitation center in California. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner has classified the case as pending further investigation, and the Santa Monica Police Department has said nothing suggests foul play. Police are treating the death as a suspected overdose.[S1]
Kaia Gerber's letter to her brother
Presley's younger sister, Kaia Gerber, also dedicated a post to him. It combined a video of the two dancing as children, a photograph of them by the ocean and a four-page letter addressed to him by a nickname, typed on a blue background. In it she recalled being frightened of having her ears pierced and said he went first, and described holding the earring removed from his body and thinking it belonged to him. She wrote about learning to love him without seeing him and about being his sister in a world she cannot reach him in.[S1]
A modeling career and open struggles
Gerber followed his mother and his sister into modeling, walking his first runway for the Italian label Moschino at 16. In his later years he spoke candidly about his mental health and drug use, regularly posting his own videos on Instagram under a label he called Mental Health Mondays. His father, the businessman Rande Gerber, started the Casamigos tequila brand together with George Clooney.[S1]
