Tragic Details About Cindy Crawford's Son, Presley Gerber

The following article contains mentions of addiction and mental health.

Presley Gerber is the child of not one, but two models. His mom, Cindy Crawford, is one of the most iconic supermodels in history and his dad is model-turned-tequila mogul Rande Gerber. As their eldest son, Gerber was always poised to follow in his famous parent's footsteps. In 2018, he starred in a re-creation of Crawford's iconic Pepsi ad from 1992. With a striking resemblance to his mother, Gerber first hit the runway in 2016, when he was just 16 years old for the luxury fashion brand Moschino. Since then he has snagged coveted modeling jobs for brands like Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, and Dolce & Gabbana. Most recently he starred in a Celine campaign.

Despite his supermodel looks and finding success at a young age, Gerber's time in the spotlight hasn't always been an easy ride. His life off the runway has been well-documented by tabloids and his own messy social media activity. Much like his younger sister Kaia Gerber, he has found himself growing up with a heightened level of scrutiny. For Presley Gerber, life as a young model has been filled with glitz, glamour, and plenty of well-documented tragedies.

Ringing in the New Year is usually a feel-good celebration with friends and family, but for Presley Gerber, 2019 got off to a horrible start. According to TMZ, Gerber –– who was 19 at the time –– was spotted by a Beverly Hills cop in the wee hours of the morning speeding in his Tesla. After being pulled over for reckless driving, cops administered a field sobriety test after smelling booze on him. Gerber failed and was charged with a DUI and released without bail. The seriousness of the charge meant the young model was facing a fine and a suspended license for a year. 

"Presley Gerber takes this very seriously and is taking the necessary steps to address the allegations," his lawyer said in a statement, adding that this is the first time his young client had ever landed in legal trouble. That July, Gerber pleaded no contest to the misdemeanor count of driving with a .08% blood-alcohol content and was sentenced to three years probation (via Page Six). The model was also mandated to complete a DUI program and two days of community service. In 2020, Page Six spotted his girlfriend Cameron Rorrison dropping him off to complete the DUI program at a drug-testing facility.

When Presley Gerber first stepped into the modeling scene, he had minimal tattoos and a fresh clean face that closely resembled his supermodel mother. By 2020, the young model had colorful ink all across his arms, torso, and neck. Though large tattoos are usually frowned upon in the modeling world, there was one shocking tattoo that had social media in an uproar and his parents not happy.

In 2020, the then 19-year-old debuted a face tattoo that read "misunderstood" on his right cheek. Many fans on his Instagram weren't too over-the-moon about it and expressed their concerns about him ruining his life and career opportunities. Gerber eventually addressed the backlash on Instagram Live. "If I thought this was going to ruin my face or I didn't want this, I wouldn't have done it. I think that's a pretty obvious thing," he said. "So, can you just move past that?" He later gave a blunt explanation for the tattoo saying, "It says 'misunderstood' because that's how I felt my entire life." [timestamp 2:19]

Gerber answered tons of questions from fans and shot back at a lot of the negative comments. He denied using drugs and even claimed mom Cindy Crawford was supportive of the tattoo."My mom, she likes it. She thinks it's...she's supportive. I don't know...it's my s**t, it's my face!" he said. [timestamp 6:37]

Despite urging anyone who didn't like the tattoo to come say it to his face, Gerber had the tattoo removed the following year, per People. 

In 2020, Presley Gerber's name was frequently in the press and not for his day job. His DUI, tattoos, and social media antics were all anyone could talk about. Growing up in a famous family, headlines weren't something new, but the controversies were something no one else in his family had ever been known for. Rande Gerber has a respectable reputation as a businessman and Cindy Crawford is the Cindy Crawford who now had a supermodel daughter following in her first steps. With their image as pristine as it is, Presley's headline-making antics stuck out like a sore thumb. According to reports, he was rebelling against expectations. "Presley is obviously going through a super rebellious phase right now," a source told Us Weekly. "He is trying to get out of the shadow of his family and find his own way and create his own identity. He also likes the attention he's been getting, even if negative, from his tattoo and recent posts."

The pressures of his family's success made Presley feel lost and looking to make a name on his own. "Presley feels like there's a lot of pressure on him because his parents and Kaia are so successful, and Kaia is thought of as a 'sweetheart' and Cindy and Rande have such respected reputations in everything they do," the source explained. "He wants to do his own thing and find his own place in the world."

Having a son going through a rebellious phase isn't new for any parent. But for Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber, watching their son's antics in the media was heartbreaking. When Presley Gerber declared himself "misunderstood" with a face tattoo, Crawford and her husband Rande quietly hoped that this was just a phase. However, Gerber's troubling behavior continued on social media. He posted a video of himself at a gun range with the caption, "Innocent little me before all the horrid tattoos...Y'all know nothing #waketfup," (via E! News). According to Daily Mail, the model was even hospitalized after a mountain bike accident. "Went mountain biking today...and to the hospital," he wrote alongside a photo showing off scrapes on his arms.

Gerber's parents didn't address the controversy publicly, but sources said they were concerned. "It's tough for them to see and has caused great concern. They know these statements are some kind of cry for attention or help," an insider told E! News. "But Presley is an adult and is finding his place." According to reports, Gerber's parents were less than thrilled about his antics but they remained close to him, desperately hoping he'd seek serious help for mental health. "He has just fallen off the beaten path. He has been in treatment before but they are pushing for something more serious," the insider continued. "They want to make sure he's in a good mental state and are closely watching him."

In October 2022, Presley Gerber teased that he had taken his relationship with model Lexi Woods to the next level. The pair had been dating for less than a year when Gerber went public with their relationship on Instagram and implied that he had popped the question. "Guys I did it...," the model captioned a carousel of photos of the two (via Page Six). The photos included one snapshot of the two kissing on the beach, another of the two making the heart symbol with their hands, and a cheeky photo of Gerber grabbing her bum. Woods reposted the post on her Instagram stories with a heart emoji, an infinity sign, and a lock and key. The sly engagement message quickly caught the attention of fans who bombarded Gerber's comment section and asked if the two were engaged. 

Despite the "congratulations" flooding in, the pair shockingly called it quits less than a month later. According to E! News, they parted ways in December and deleted all traces of each other on Instagram. What made the breakup even more shocking was sources close to the couple claiming the two didn't see a future together. "They realized very quickly it wasn't going to be a long-term relationship," an insider revealed. Despite being spotted with Gerber a week prior to the breakup, a source close to Woods claimed she was ready to move on and, "focus on herself, her modeling, podcast and partnerships." Ouch.

In a rare interview on the "Studio 22" podcast, a more mature Presley Gerber reflected on his past mistakes and vulnerably shared his struggles with mental health. "So, for me and 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," he shared. [37:12] Despite the public backlash he faced for his past antics, Gerber believes they were lessons he had to learn and hopefully pass on to others. "I've seen a lot of stuff and I've learned a lot of things," said Gerber. "What I hope I can do is have made the mistakes for other people, so they don't have to make the same mistakes that I made." [39:19]

While taking a break from modeling, Gerber started an initiative aimed at raising awareness about mental health and helping others find healthy coping mechanisms. On his Instagram page, he launched a series titled "Mental Health Mondays" and opened up practices that can positively impact your mental health. The model explained that he hopes the weekly episodes impact people to seek help."If they're like me, well, then they're going to want to do it the hard way. But if they want to listen, then I could save them a lot of hardship and a lot of struggling."

If you or someone you know needs help with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.

Presley Gerber's mother and father both found great success as models. For Gerber, he found success early as a model, walking runway shows for Balmain and Dolce & Gabbana. At just 17 years old Gerber won the Emerging Model of The Year award, with all signs pointing to him being the next big thing in the industry. Despite all these wins, Gerber seemed unimpressed about modeling. In a 2020 Instagram Live, fans asked the model if he was planning on doing runways. "I hope not––not a huge fan but I do it when I can," he answered.

In a 2023 interview with "Studio 22" podcast, Gerber gave more insight on what he disliked about modeling and even explained why he stepped away for a bit. "Around 2019 I started slowing down...my downtime started to take a toll on me," he explained. According to Gerber, the industry's inconsistent schedule led to a lot of instability. "You know [with] modeling, you could be working January through February, and then you have no idea when you're going to get paid for that, you have no idea when the next job is coming," he explained. [Timestamp 5:23] He further explained that he and his friends viewed modeling as a springboard for things they were actually passionate about. For Gerber, he wanted to use his "passive income" as an investment for his own business. He revealed that he planned on getting his real estate license, signaling a possible career change.

After going through a few years of excessive media scrutiny, Presley Gerber knows a thing or two about being on the receiving end of hate. During his "misunderstood" face tattoo era, Gerber frequently went on Instagram live and addressed his haters directly, even demanding they come say it to his face. By 2023, a more mature Gerber reflected on that social media hate, and this time revealed the toll it took on his mental health. On episode 2 of his "Mental Health Mondays" Instagram series, Gerber offered his followers advice on navigating the social media storm.

"I have let a single comment ruin my day and I've learned how to not let that energy that those...keyboard warriors affect me anymore," Gerber shared. "It's up to you to be able to block that energy to not be able to receive it." Gerber jokingly shared that he had first-hand experience of getting "nailed with negative comments" and advised people to detox from social media. "At any time if social media gets too much there's no shame in taking a break, right?" he told his followers. 

Gerber also urged his followers to reach out to friends if hate on social media ever begins to consume them and encouraged them to begin practicing healthier habits. "I got a lot more to learn as we all do, and we're all on this journey together," he shared.

In August 2024, Presley Gerber took to his Instagram stories and gave shocking insight into his personal struggles. In a message to fans, Gerber came clean about his struggles with addiction and revealed that he was in recovery. "I'm dealing with a current, very high opioid addiction, and I've been on and off of them for years now," he shared. "I feel like everyone pretty much knows that and if you don't, now you do." Gerber went on to tell fans that he was preparing to undergo ibogaine treatment, a psychedelic meant to treat addiction and PTSD. 

"As I get closer to the date of the detox, I'm getting scared," he revealed. "Obviously it's a scary thing, getting clean is a scary thing that's why so many people struggle with it." Gerber explained that he was being open about his addiction and seeking treatment in hopes of holding himself accountable and offered to answer any questions for those who were curious about trying it.

Despite the serious nature of the topic and his jitters about the treatment, Gerber sounded refreshed and motivated about getting clean. "It's time for me to do it and stick to it," he said. He went on to say that he would be documenting the process not only for himself but for his followers. This moment of honesty seemed to be a full circle moment for a boy who once declared himself as misunderstood. "Hopefully everyone now understands where I'm at," he said.

If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).