Cindy Crawford is trying her best to process the shocking loss of her only son, Presley Gerber.
“They were so close,” a source told Page Six exclusively. “What you saw online and in the press wasn’t just for that purpose. They were a tight-knit family and [sister] Kaia and Presley were more than just siblings. Cindy has to be beyond gutted.”
According to a second source, “Cindy is inconsolable. She’s absolutely devastated. This is every parent’s worst nightmare, and the family is still trying to process everything that happened.”
Presley died of a reported drug overdose after Santa Monica Police Department officers were dispatched to a Santa Monica, California, rehab facility on Sept. 20. Page Six’s sources claimed he had checked in for treatment the same weekend he was pronounced deceased. He was only 27.
After news of Presley’s death broke, a rep shared with Page Six that the family asked for “privacy during this very difficult and painful time.”
The male model was quite open about his struggles over the years.
In 2018, Presley was arrested for DUI after being pulled over for speeding in Beverly Hills, California. The following year, he pleaded no contest and was on probation for three years.
He also was open about his addiction to opioids and his mental health, including his battle with depression, which he called a “24-7 job.”
In March, Presley took to social media to give followers a glimpse inside his trip to Mexico to work on his sobriety. During the trip, he took ibogaine, a psychoactive substance found in the root bark of Tabernanthe iboga that has been used to help with those trying to stay sober.
“You are a warrior!” his mom commented. “Walk thru the fire to find yourself So proud!”
Crawford was always her son’s biggest cheerleader and a very hands-on parent, according to the first source. While it’s unclear how Presley got himself into treatment, his mother always had her son’s best interests at heart.
“Cindy was extremely involved in everything when it came to Kaia and Presley growing up,” said the source. “She never missed a school function and was on top of everything when it came to her kids.”
“I’m sure that Cindy would make sure her kid was going to the best rehab though,” the source continued. “That’s the kind of mom she was. She was so involved in everything for them.”
The family aren’t the only ones feeling Presley’s loss, either.
Popular amongst his peers growing up, the source shared with Page Six many who knew him are feeling his passing just as heavily as the family.
“The entire friend group is devastated.”
If you or someone you care about is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
