Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber pay tribute to 'sweet, beautiful soul' Presley following his death aged 27
Presley Gerber's family have paid tribute to the 27-year-old in wake of his tragic death.
The son of supermodel Cindy Crawford and businessman Rande Gerber passed away on Sunday (20 September) at a rehab facility.
His loved ones have now released a statement on Instagram saying: "We are beyond heartbroken to lose our beloved son and brother. We feel so blessed to have had Presley in our lives for 27 years. He is a sweet, beautiful soul who loved and is loved, now and forever.
The statement continued: "We are so proud of how he showed up in the world, with kindness and vulnerability. We are grateful for the outpouring of love and support from so many who know and love our family and even strangers who feel our pain. Til we meet again our sweet boy. We love you forever, Mom, Dad and Kaia."
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His sister, actress Kaia, posted a video of them as children on Instagram, alongside pictures and a long tribute in which she said she didn't have words, and added: "You know how much i loved being your sister. it has always been, and will forever be, my favorite thing about myself. i came into this world with a white-knuckle grip around you. i had more love for you than i knew what to do with. and now that it has nowhere obvious to go, i'm certain it's going to swallow me whole."
She said Presley had been her 'ultimate teacher' and added: "i am learning how to love you when i cannot see you. how to tell you something without picking up my phone to call you. how to be your sister in a world that i can't reach for you in. i don't know how to do that yet."
In a short statement last month, his mother's publicist confirmed the sad news to a number of outlets, saying: "The family is asking for privacy during this very difficult and painful time."
Tributes have been pouring in for Presley, with socialite Paris Hilton describing him as 'a beautiful soul' in a poignant post shared to Instagram.
It read: "I’m completely heartbroken, I still can’t believe this is real. Presley, you were such a beautiful soul. So sweet, sensitive, kind and genuine. I cared about you so much,
"And I’m going to miss you more than words can say."
Brooklyn Beckham also said he had been left 'heartbroken' by the model's untimely passing in a social media post, adding: "Presley, you were the kindest and we are going to miss you so much. We love you."
Presley followed in the footsteps of his famous mother Cindy and began modelling as a teenager and he made his runway debut for Moschino when he was 16.
He went on to walk for a number of huge brands, including the likes of Burberry, Bottega Veneta, Tommy Hilfiger and Ralph Lauren, as well as gracing the pages of Vogue magazine.
The California native also starred in a Super Bowl ad alongside his mum back in 2018, which he described as being 'so fun and easy'.
Speaking to People about working alongside Cindy at the time, he gushed: "I am really excited to be in [Pepsi’s] commercial with my mom, especially since her commercial from back in the day is so iconic. I feel like now I get to hop in there with her, which is really cool. We literally drove from our house to work together, then drove home together.
"But we’re a really tight family, so it was just like going to work with one of your friends. It was so fun, and easy."
Presley also publicly discussed his struggles with substance abuse and his mental health. He launched a social media series dubbed 'Mental Health Mondays' where he offered fans insight into how he was doing.
His younger sister, actress and model Kaia Gerber, recently discussed her admiration for Presley in an interview with Vogue.
She explained that she 'never wanted to ask for help' from her parents when they were growing up as 'it felt like too much to have two children who were needing'.
The 25-year-old then heaped praise on her older sibling for candidly discussing his struggles with the world, saying: "My parents for most of our lives were very, very private and didn’t share anything," she went on. "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. And trying to put a lid on something just makes the person feel like you’re ashamed of them."
'Walked through the fire to find yourself'
Presley's loved ones offered him similar words of encouragement in the comment section of an Instagram post he shared back in May, with mum Cindy describing him as a 'warrior'.
She wrote: "Walked thru the fire to find yourself! So proud!"
Kaia said she was 'so damn proud' of Presley, while their father and Casamigos co-founder Rande added: "I'm so proud of you and your courage.
"Facing what's hard takes real strength and watching you find your way back to yourself is everything. I love you so much."
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Topics: Celebrity, Celebrity News, US News
Olivia Burke