Presley Gerber, 27, son of supermodel Cindy Crawford, spoke openly in March about facing his addiction issues during a stay at a wellness clinic in Cancun. He detailed the experience of taking ibogaine, a psychoactive substance used to treat opioid addiction and traumatic brain injuries. Six months later, Gerber died suddenly while reportedly undergoing treatment at another undisclosed rehab facility. His family members expressed pride and support for him throughout his struggles with drug dependency that lasted over a decade.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-21,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Presley Gerber, the 27-year-old son of supermodel Cindy Crawford, posted a video on Instagram in March where he discussed his fear and desperation before undergoing an ibogaine treatment at a wellness clinic in Cancún, Mexico. Ibogaine is a psychedelic drug used to treat substance use disorders but is illegal in the US. Gerber revealed his terror and commitment to overcoming his addiction struggles, stating "I faced what I had been running from." The video showed him preparing for the ibogaine flood dose with a calming ritual, reflecting on his journey to confront his demons. His sister Kaia praised him for his bravery in battling addiction. Tragically, Gerber died unexpectedly at another rehab facility just months after posting this video.
Written for “Presley Gerber Addiction Struggle” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 2 other(s) covering the same event.
Presley Gerber spoke candidly about how he was trying to overcome his addiction battle just six months before his death at a rehab center – revealing he was facing what he “had been running from.”
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he → speak → what
Gerber, 27, shared footage of himself at a wellness clinic in Cancun, Mexico, in March where he took part in a ritual and prayer.
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he → share → ritual
“Pre ibogaine flood dose – quiet moment before everything changed,” he wrote.
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he → change → ?
“I was absolutely terrified, and I knew I would be again if I ever had to face something like this (helps to not go into the situations you do that get ya there but that’s life sometimes.)
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that → know → ya
(my mantras were love yourself and lis gotta be the last time for this reason.
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lis → love → reason
“Letting go of control didn’t come easy, but I trusted there was something bigger than me guiding it.
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I → go → it
I knew why I was there.
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I → know → ?
“I faced what I had been running from, and somewhere in all of it, i started finding my way back to myself.
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i → face → myself
“We shall see…
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Praying it’s the last time I have to come back.
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Next time I’d like to choose.”
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I → like → ?
Gerber, the only son of supermodel Cindy Crawford, thanked the “incredible, caring [and] kind” team at the facility.
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Gerber → thank → facility
Gerber’s sister, Kaia, revealed she was “so damn proud” of her older brother.
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she → reveal → brother
“You are a warrior,” Crawford said.
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Crawford → say → ?
“Love you mama,” he replied.
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he → love → you
Rande Gerber, Presley’s dad, said, “I’m so proud of you and your courage.
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I → say → you
“Facing what’s hard takes real strength and watching you find your way back to yourself is everything.
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you → face → yourself
I love you so much.”
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I → love → you
Gerber, who made his modeling debut age 16 for the Italian brand Moschino, turned to ibogaine – a psychoactive found in the root bark of the West African shrub Tabernanthe iboga.
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who → make → shrub
The psychedelic can be used to tackle opioid addiction and Stanford studies have found it can effectively treat traumatic brain injuries military veterans have suffered.
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veterans → use → injuries
“No other drug has ever been able to alleviate the functional and neuropsychiatric symptoms of traumatic brain injury,” Nolan Williams, an associate professor of psychiatry, said of the 2025 study.
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Williams → alleviate → study
Gerber was at an undisclosed rehab facility when his death was announced Sunday.
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death → announce → facility
An autopsy has yet to be completed.
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autopsy → have → ?
He had struggled with addiction for the past decade.
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He → struggle → decade
In 2024, Gerber revealed had battled a severe, multi-year opiate addiction and had a near-fatal fentanyl overdose that left him in a coma for a few days.
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that → battle → days
The same year he also disclosed he was suffering from prescription medication dependency after seeing over 15 different psychiatrists who allegedly heavily medicated him without giving him a structured recovery direction.
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who → disclose → direction
Last December, he revealed in a now-deleted video how he used prescription medication such as antidepressants and Xanax for panic attacks, CNN reported.
“Unfortunately, I’ve had a lot of loss in many different forms recently,” he said.
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he → reveal → forms
“So that is not an excuse, but it’s the reason why I am where I’m at now.”
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I → ’ → where
Just a month before his death, Kaia opened up about her brother’s battle with addiction.
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Kaia → open → addiction
“When something like that happens in a family, it kind of levels everyone,” she told Vogue.
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she → happen → Vogue
Your voice matters.
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voice → matter → ?
Discussions are moderated for civility.
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Discussions → moderate → civility
The Aporia
