Kaia Gerber praised her older brother, Presley Gerber, for speaking openly about his mental health just weeks before his death at 27.
Presley died on Sept. 20 at a rehab facility in Santa Monica, according to Los Angeles County Medical Examiner records obtained by People. Emergency crews responded to a call for cardiac arrest and an apparent overdose. Local police are currently investigating the circumstances of his death while awaiting official medical examiner reports.
A month before his passing, Kaia reflected on how his honesty changed the way their family talked about hard topics.
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Kaia Gerber’s Words on Her Brother’s Transparency
In an August interview with Vogue, the 25-year-old actress called Presley an “absolute teacher” for choosing not to hide his struggles. She explained that while her parents, Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber, always kept family matters private, Presley took a different approach.
“My parents for most of our lives were very, very private and didn’t share anything,” Kaia said. “And now we have this absolute teacher, my brother, who says, ‘I’m gonna be very human for everyone. There’s only so much you can hide from the world.’”
Kaia also spoke about her own role in the family during his 10-year struggle with addiction. She admitted that she often stayed quiet and handled her own problems so she wouldn’t add to her parents’ stress.
Presley Gerber’s Legacy of Advocacy
Presley ran a “Mental Health Mondays” series on Instagram where he discussed “panic attacks” and shared the specific prescriptions he took to manage his symptoms. He also spoke at public events, including a June 11 panel hosted by We Are ENOUGH that marked his final public appearance.
“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,” Presley said during an interview on the Studio 22 podcast, adding, “That’s really what I want to do: help people, whether you’re depressed, 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.”
Following his death, a representative for the Gerber family requested privacy for Kaia and her parents as police continue their investigation and the family navigates this painful loss.
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, call the SAMHSA National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357. If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
