Santa Monica police are investigating the model’s death as a suspected overdose while the county medical examiner awaits additional testing.
SANTA MONICA, Calif. — Presley Gerber, a model and the 27-year-old son of Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber, died Sunday at a rehabilitation facility, authorities said, as police opened an investigation into a suspected overdose and the county medical examiner deferred a final cause and manner of death.
Santa Monica police said officers responded at about 9:35 a.m. Sept. 20 to a report of a possible overdose in the 1000 block of Berkeley Street. Officers found an adult man dead at the scene, and the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner later identified him as Gerber. The medical examiner said responding paramedics pronounced him dead at 9:45 a.m. Police said there was no indication of foul play.
The medical examiner completed an examination Sept. 21 but said the cause and manner of Gerber’s death remained deferred. The department said additional testing or studies had been requested before a determination could be made. It did not disclose what testing was being conducted because the death investigation remains open. The department said deferred cases can take a few months to complete.
The police investigation describes Gerber’s death as a suspected overdose, but that remains a preliminary investigative classification rather than an official cause of death. The medical examiner is responsible for determining both the cause and manner of death. Authorities had not announced a final determination as of Tuesday, and the police department said its investigation was continuing.
Allie Jenkins, a representative for Crawford and Rande Gerber, confirmed Gerber’s death after it was first reported Sunday. “The family is asking for privacy during this very difficult and painful time,” Jenkins said. Gerber was the couple’s eldest child and the older brother of model and actor Kaia Gerber.
Gerber had built a modeling career separate from the fame of his parents. Raised in Malibu, he signed with IMG Models as a teenager and made his runway debut for Moschino at age 16. His later work included campaigns and appearances for major fashion brands, including Calvin Klein and Dolce & Gabbana. In 2018, he appeared with Crawford in a Pepsi commercial shown during Super Bowl LII, a spot that referenced his mother’s well-known 1992 advertisement for the company. He later signed with DNA Models.
In recent years, Gerber had also spoken publicly about mental health and substance-use struggles. He used social media to discuss his experiences with treatment and recovery and began a series he called “Mental Health Mondays.” In a post announcing the series in 2025, he said the goal was to encourage more open discussion of subjects people often keep private. Those disclosures provide context about issues Gerber discussed publicly but do not establish what caused his death.
Kaia Gerber also discussed her brother’s experiences in an August interview with Vogue, describing his willingness to speak openly about addiction and its effect on their family. His public discussions marked a more personal turn for a family long associated with fashion, entertainment and business. Presley Gerber’s social media also documented his modeling work, photography and longtime interests in surfing and skating.
The circumstances of Gerber’s death remain under investigation. Santa Monica police have said only that detectives are treating the case as a suspected overdose and that they have found no indication of foul play. The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner said it will update its records when additional testing allows officials to determine the cause and manner of death.
Author note: Last updated September 22, 2026.