Supermodel Cindy Crawford spoke about her pride for her son Presley Gerber in an Instagram post shared weeks before his death at age 27.
Presley, a fashion model and the only son of Crawford and businessman Rande Gerber, died Sunday at a rehab facility, according to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner. His cause of death has not been disclosed.
A representative for Presley’s parents as well as his younger sister, 25-year-old Kaia Gerber, confirmed the death and told The Independent in a statement: “The family is asking for privacy during this very difficult and painful time.”
Earlier this summer, Crawford paid tribute to her son with an Instagram post celebrating Presley’s 27th birthday in July that featured two pictures of him as a boy and as an adolescent.
“Happy birthday Presley Gerber,” the post said. “I’m so proud of the man you’ve become, but I’ll always see you as my little boy! Love you.”
Presley signed with IMG Models when he was 15, and worked with brands including Calvin Klein, Bottega Veneta and Dolce & Gabbana.
He frequently spoke about his substance abuse issues and mental health struggles over the years.
In March, Presley posted a video of himself using experimental drug Ibogaine in a drug withdrawal treatment called pre Ibogaine Flood Dose. The psychedelic drug is illegal in the U.S., but Presley was undergoing the treatment in Cancun, Mexico.
“I faced what I had been running from, and somewhere in all of it, i started finding my way back to myself,” Presley captioned the Instagram post.
Crawford commented on the video: “You are a warrior! Walked thru the fire to find yourself! So proud!” Kaia added in a comment under the post, “that’s my brother I am so damn proud.”
Kaia, who works as a model and actor, had opened up about her brother’s experience with addiction in an interview published a month before his death.
She told Vogue in her September cover story that she admired Presley for being candid about his mental health struggles.
“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 explained. “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.”
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