Presley Gerber, 27, suffered apparent overdose before going into cardiac arrest and dying
An apparent cause of death has been confirmed for 27-year-old supermodel Presley Gerber.
As per recordings obtained by PEOPLE, a call was made to California police on 20 September for a cardiac arrest at 9.35 am to the address of a rehab facility in Santa Monica. A subsequent dispatch revealed that the first responders were called out for an overdose.
Medical records made by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner ruled that Presley, the son of 90s star Cindy Crawford and businessman Rande Gerber, had died at the facility.
The Santa Monica Police Department released a statement on Monday (21 Sept), revealing that officers had found Presley dead upon their arrival.
Advert
It added that detectives 'are investigating the death as a suspected overdose'.
"At this time, there is no indication of foul play," the message continued. "The official cause and manner of death will be determined by the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner."
"The investigation remains ongoing."
Despite an autopsy having been performed, the 'cause and manner of death have been deferred, which means additional testing and/or studies were requested in order to make a determination', as per the Medical Examiner's office.
A statement was also released to TMZ by Presley's loved ones earlier this week, which read: "The family is asking for privacy during this very difficult and painful time."
Presley - the older brother of model and actress Kaia Gerber - had been open on social media about his mental health challenges and drug use in the years before his passing.
He was arrested for being under the influence in 2019, after which he was sentenced to three years of probation and ordered to complete a DUI programme, alongside two days of community service.
In 2023, he told listeners of the Studio 22 podcast: "Having struggled with mental health, depression and some other things that come along with that, I think that whether I help one person or a hundred people get out of that place that I was in at one point in my life, that’s all I need to do.
"(Mental health) is an issue. It is such a big part of my life. It’s a 24/7 job, and there’s so much to it."
Presley continued: "That’s really what I want to do: help people, whether you’re depressed, or you’re struggling with something that is having a negative effect on your body. I mean, it could be anything, and there’s no judgment.
"I’ve seen a lot of stuff, and I’ve learned a lot of things. What I hope I can do is have made the mistakes for some other people, so they don’t have to make the same mistakes that I made."
The model went on to begin his own Instagram series called 'Mental Health Mondays', writing on social media in November 2025: "It’s been a minute since I’ve posted - I had to take a step back and take care of my own mental health for a bit.
"But I’m coming back soon - stronger, clearer, more intentional than ever."
Presley continued at the time: "When I started Mental Health Mondays, the goal was to spark real conversations about the stuff most people hide. It’s been incredible seeing how far that message has spread and how many people it’s helped.
"I’m proud that something I created has inspired others and started a bigger movement around openness and healing."
He added: "And with November being Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month, the timing couldn’t be better to keep the conversation going."
Kaia also discussed her brother's 'decade-long struggle with drug addiction' with Vogue earlier this month.
"When something like that happens in a family, it kind of levels everyone," the 25-year-old said. "I think that’s also why I started to self-identify as the easy one and never wanted to ask for help. Because it felt like too much to have two children who were needing.
"My parents for most of our lives were very, very private and didn’t share anything - and now we have this absolute teacher, my brother, who says, 'I’m gonna be very human for everyone'."
She continued: "There’s only so much you can hide from the world. And trying to put a lid on something just makes the person feel like you’re ashamed of them."
If you want friendly, confidential advice about drugs, you can talk to FRANK. You can call 0300 123 6600, text 82111 or contact through their website 24/7, or livechat from 2pm-6pm any day of the week
If you're experiencing distressing thoughts and feelings, the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) is there to support you. They're open from 5pm–midnight, 365 days a year. Their national number is 0800 58 58 58 and they also have a webchat service if you're not comfortable talking on the phone.
Rhianna Benson