NEWSPresley Gerber 'Seemed a Little Off' in Final Days Before Tragic Death, Claims Insider: He 'Felt Like He Was Lacking Purpose in His Life'
Presley Gerber died on September 20.
Sept. 21 2026, Published 5:07 p.m. ET
Presley Gerber reportedly did not seem like himself in the weeks before his untimely passing.
Gerber, the only son of Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber, was struggling and was looking to get help in the final days before he died, a source told Page Six.
'He Was Struggling With a Lot of Things'
Presley Gerber felt that he was 'lacking purpose in his life.'
"He seemed a little off in recent weeks. Something was just not there. Energetically, he didn’t seem like himself," a source shared with the news outlet on Monday, September 21, just one day after the 27-year-old passed away while at a rehab facility in Santa Monica, Calif.
Presley, who had briefly followed in his mom and sister Kaia's modeling footsteps, "felt like he was lacking purpose in his life," "hadn’t really found his place" and "didn’t really know where he wanted to go and what he wanted to do," the insider added.
"He was struggling with a lot of things, but he wanted so, so badly to be free of his addictions," the source continued. "He was such a good kid."
'He Had Not Been Doing Well'
Presley Gerber spoke about his mental health struggles on social media.
Presley reportedly checked into the treatment center over the weekend.
"He went in because he knew he needed help. He had not been doing well. 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," they went on to say.
Presley suffered from addiction and mental health issues for several years, previously sharing he had abused alcohol, opioids, painkillers, anti-anxiety medications, as well as Xanax and ketamine.
The new outlet added that they were told he was struggling with "the full gamut" at the time of his death.
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'With That Comes Other Temptations'
A source claimed it can be 'easy' to fall into drugs and drinking where Presley Gerber grew up.
"He was such a kind person, but he grew up in that strange Malibu world where it’s very easy to fall into drugs and drinking as you are growing up," the source shared.
"It can be brutal out there. Yes, it’s a lovely lifestyle, but it’s also very isolated in a way, and that can be hard and make substances an easy temptation to turn to. It’s a very carefree way of life, but with that comes other temptations," they said.
Presley Gerber Passed Away at 27
Presley Gerber is survived by his parents and his younger sister.
As previously reported by OK!, Presley was in "cardiac arrest" before he passed, according to recordings of the emergency dispatch.
A call was made to the Santa Monica police department on Sunday morning, with a separate dispatch informing first responders that there had been an overdose at the same address.
Authorities discovered the young man was dead upon arrival, with detectives currently "investigating the death as a suspected overdose," the Santa Monica Police Department said in a statement.
At this time, there is no indication of foul play.
"Both the cause and manner of death have been deferred pending additional testing and/or studies," the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner shared.
