Presley Gerber's Sad Last Days: Cindy Crawford’s Son Entered Rehab Days Before Tragic 'Overdose' Death at 27 — as Insiders Claim 'He Seemed a Little Off'
Presley Gerber reportedly 'knew he needed help' before checking into rehab.
Sept. 21 2026, Published 6:45 p.m. ET
Details are coming out about Presley Gerber's sad last days, from his most recent trip to rehab to feeling that he 'hadn’t really found his place" in life before his tragic death at 27, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Gerber died at a Santa Monica, California, residential rehab facility of a suspected "overdose" on Sunday, September 20, after reportedly going into cardiac arrest. A cause of death could take "months" to determine due to testing.
Presley Gerber Wanted 'So Badly to be Free of His Addictions'
Gerber reportedly checked into rehab shortly before his alleged overdose.
A friend told Page Six that Gerber was fresh into his latest attempt at recovery, having checked into rehab "this weekend” because “he knew he needed help."
"He had not been doing well," the insider shared. "He’s always suffered from a huge lack of self-esteem and had trouble accepting his real self and feeling fully confident in who he was as a person."
The source revealed that in recent weeks, the former model "seemed a little off...something was just not there.”
“Energetically, he didn’t seem like himself,” the insider noted. “He was struggling with a lot of things, but he wanted so, so badly to be free of his addictions. He was such a good kid."
Kaia Gerber's Modeling Career Vastly Outshined Her Brother Presley's
Both Presley and Kaia Gerber pursued modeling but she became far more successful.
Presley had stunning good looks thanks to his parents, O.G. supermodel Cindy Crawford and model-turned-wildly successful entrepreneur Rande Gerber.
Despite signing with IMG Models at 15 in 2015 and making his runway debut the following year, Presley never matched the overwhelming success of his younger sister and Crawford look-alike, Kaia Gerber, 25. She has since parlayed her modeling career into acting, including roles in Apple+'s dramedy Palm Royale and starring in Ryan Murphy's latest F/X series, The Shards.
The insider claimed Presley was lost and adrift and “felt like he was lacking purpose in his life."
They added that he "hadn’t really found his place" and "didn’t really know where he wanted to go and what he wanted to do," despite his famous family's multitude of connections.
Presley Gerber Got DUI While Underaged Followed by Face Tattoo
Presley Gerber was roundly mocked for getting a face tattoo reading 'MISUNDERSTOOD.'
Presley was often his own worst enemy as he waged a grueling battle against his personal demons.
Trouble struck while his modeling career was still on the rise when, at just 19, he was busted for DUI in late 2018. His lawyer said at the time the California native "takes this very seriously and is taking the necessary steps to address the allegations."
Presley ultimately struck a plea deal in July 2019, pleading no contest to a misdemeanor count of driving with a .08% blood-alcohol level. He was slapped with three years of probation, ordered to complete a DUI program, and handed two days of community service. A year later her was photographed entering a drug testing facility.
The nepo baby then made the unwise move of getting the word "Misunderstood" tattooed in capital letters across his stunning face in February 2020, after already getting several neck tattoos.
Presley sneered while defending his decision in an Instagram Live video, "If I thought this was going to ruin my face or I didn’t want this, I wouldn’t have done it. I think that’s a pretty obvious thing."
He troublingly added, "It says misunderstood, because that’s how I felt my entire life." He ultimately got it removed in 2021.
Presley Gerber Confessed to a 'Very High Opioid Addiction'
Never Miss an
Daily updates from the heart of Hollywood, right to your inbox
By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you’re agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
Presley Gerber looked alarmingly thin in 2022, admitting two years later he had a 'very high opioid addition' for 'years.'
Presley became increasingly candid about his harrowing battles with addiction and mental health, revealing in 2024 that he was "dealing with [a] current, very high opioid addiction" after having "been on and off them for years now."
By December 2025, the former model laid bare the staggering extent of his struggles in an Instagram video, revealing he'd seen 15 different psychiatrists and was taking a cocktail of medications for conditions ranging from anxiety and PTSD to opioid use disorder, including Xanax, Valium and buprenorphine.
