A month after Presley Gerber's death, his family say they are 'beyond heartbroken'

A month after the death of their son Presley, supermodel Cindy Crawford and her husband Rande Gerber have spoken publicly in an emotional Instagram statement, saying they are 'beyond heartbroken' to lose their beloved son and brother. Presley, they wrote, was a sweet, beautiful soul who loved and is loved, now and forever.

The couple's eldest child died aged 27 at a rehab facility on 20 September, according to Los Angeles County medical examiner records. The cause of his death has not been disclosed. The family's statement, posted on Sunday, is their first public expression of grief a month on.

Crawford and Gerber wrote that they feel blessed to have had Presley in their lives for 27 years, and that they are proud of how he showed up in the world, with kindness and vulnerability. They also thanked everyone — from people who know and love the family to strangers who feel their pain — for the outpouring of love and support. The message was signed 'with love forever' from Crawford, Gerber and their daughter, Kaia Gerber.

Kaia, a model like her mother, shared her own message alongside a carousel of images and videos of herself with Presley. In a letter addressed to her brother, she wrote that she did not have the words — and that perhaps the tiny mercy was that they never needed them.

She wrote that she had none of the answers and could not articulate the magnitude of losing her brother. Being his sister, she said, had always been — and would forever be — her favourite thing about herself.

In the letter she described her older brother as inherently good and her ultimate teacher, recalling childhood memories as she reflected on her grief. She wrote that she was learning how to love him when she cannot see him, how to tell him something without picking up the phone to call him, and how to be his sister in a world she cannot reach him in — something she said she does not yet know how to do.

She concluded by calling him her best buddy, her great protector, the hardest she has ever laughed and the one true love of her life, writing that he lit all her candles and took all her monsters away. The post was set to the song 'First I Was' by Jake Minch, which Kaia described as the last thing they talked about.

Actors Taylor Lautner and Patrick Schwarzenegger, singer Suki Waterhouse and socialite Paris Hilton were among those who commented. Hilton wrote that her heart breaks for the family, that Presley was truly one of a kind, that she feels lucky to have known him, and that she will always remember him with so much love.

Presley was signed by IMG Models when he was 15 and modelled for brands including Burberry, Dolce & Gabbana and Bottega Veneta. Like his mother he found fame in modelling, but his personal struggles were also well documented.

He spoke frequently and openly about his struggles with depression and substance abuse — a candour that made him, to many, more than a model: someone who did not hide his vulnerability. His family's tribute echoed that, praising the kindness and vulnerability with which he showed up in the world.

With the cause of death still undisclosed, many questions about Presley's final days remain unanswered. The family, however, has chosen to foreground memory and gratitude rather than dispute. After a month of silence, their message makes clear that the grief is still raw — and that the love pouring in from around the world is what is carrying them through it.