Owner of ‘rehab’ where Presley Gerber died had psychology license denied over criminal past involving meth and minor

Read the original at New York Post ↗
New York Post · collected 2026-09-24 · by Bernie Zilio, Nate Grant, Teresa Roca
Content note This article describes suicide or self-harm.

Quick Summary

Dr. Reza Nabavi, who owned the rehab facility where Presley Gerber died from a suspected overdose, previously had his psychology license application denied due to his criminal record involving methamphetamine and interactions with a minor in 2002. Police records show that Nabavi was arrested twice within months for drug-related offenses and possession of weapons, leading to probation terms including regular monitoring by a psychologist and random drug tests. Despite these issues, he eventually obtained the license to practice psychology.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-24, using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the same event (that is the story summary below).

AI analysis runs on qwen2.5:14b, locally

Story summary

Dr. Reza Nabavi, the founder and owner of the "rehab" center where model Presley Gerber died from a suspected overdose, had his psychology license application denied in 2002 due to his criminal past involving drugs and a minor. Nabavi was arrested that year by Oakland Police Department officers who found him asleep with a 15-year-old girl under the influence of methamphetamine in his car. The search revealed meth, marijuana, a hunting knife, a handgun, and ammunition in his vehicle. He pleaded no contest to possession of a controlled substance and received 36 months of probation. Additionally, Nabavi faced another arrest later that month for attempting to sell meth to an informant. These criminal actions raised serious concerns about his fitness to operate a rehabilitation facility.

Written for “Rebeka Meier License Controversy” on 2026-10-05, grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted
29
claim-shaped sentences
Uncertain
24%
7 of 29 hedged
Leaning
not political
takes no side on a contested political question
Correction & hedging signals
64.4
corrections and hedging in what we collected; not a measure of accuracy
Outlets on this story
1
Crime & Law
Narrative spread
1
articles carrying this framing
Analyzed 2026-09-24 · how these are computed

Story

📰 Rebeka Meier License Controversy
Crime & Law · 1 article(s) covering the same event.

How this is being covered How these are calculated →

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability
Source leaning vs. consistency

Compared with similar articles

This article reads unscored and hedges 24% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.
Evening Standard
⚖️ leaning not scored 🔴 0% hedged 0 of 32 📰 publisher trust 68
“The articles cover different aspects related to Presley Gerber's death and drug rehabilitation, but do not describe the same specific incident.”
New York Post
⚖️ leaning not scored 🔴 3% hedged 1 of 32 📰 publisher trust 64
“The articles discuss different aspects related to Presley Gerber's death but do not describe the same specific incident.”
Evening Standard
⚖️ leaning not scored 🔴 4% hedged 1 of 26 📰 publisher trust 68
“The articles describe different aspects of Presley Gerber's situation and the background of Dr. Reza Nabavi, not the same specific incident.”
New York Post
⚖️ leaning not scored 🔴 0% hedged 0 of 17 📰 publisher trust 64
“Article A discusses Presley Gerber's recent stay in rehab and his death, while Article B focuses on Dr. Reza Nabavi's past criminal history related to the facility where Gerber died.”
New York Post
⚖️ leaning not scored 🔴 5% hedged 1 of 22 📰 publisher trust 64
“Article A discusses Presley Gerber's medications before his death, while Article B focuses on Dr. Reza Nabavi's past criminal history and denied psychology license.”
New York Post
⚖️ leaning not scored 🔴 17% hedged 1 of 6 📰 publisher trust 64
“The articles describe different events involving unlicensed or problematic medical practitioners but do not refer to the same specific incident.”
New York Post
⚖️ leaning not scored 🔴 9% hedged 1 of 11 📰 publisher trust 64
“Article A discusses Gerber's prescription of ketamine and reactions from his inner circle, while Article B covers Dr. Nabavi's past criminal history and license denial unrelated to the time of Gerber's death or immediate circumstances.”
Daily Mail
⚖️ leaning not scored 🔴 3% hedged 2 of 69 📰 publisher trust 65
“Article A reports on the 911 call and details of Presley Gerber's suspected overdose death, while Article B discusses Dr. Nabavi's past criminal history and denied psychology license unrelated to Gerber's specific death event.”
Fox News
⚖️ leaning not scored 🔴 25% hedged 8 of 32 📰 publisher trust 69
“Article A focuses on Presley Gerber's death and final hours in rehab, while Article B discusses the background of the facility owner Dr. Reza Nabavi.”
Fox News
⚖️ leaning not scored 🔴 20% hedged 9 of 45 📰 publisher trust 69
“Article A reports on Presley Gerber's death and its implications for addiction recovery, while Article B focuses on the background of Dr. Reza Nabavi, the owner of the rehabilitation facility where Gerber died.”

Publisher

New York Post · 6834 article(s) · 23 correction(s) detected
Running correction rate · 23 correction(s)
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Who wrote this

Bernie Zilio
16 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
🔮 The email noted that counselors would be “available to meet with students and staff who may need emotional support during this difficult time.”
🔮 The 20-year-old daughter of Teresa Giudice was scheduled to appear virtually in Montville Township Municipal Court on Tuesday following her May arrest for simple assault, but her attorney requested a later date.
🔮 Novoselic added, “None of us could have imagined that our band, our sound or our aesthetic could mean so much to so many people.
🔮 In May 2002, Nabavi pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge of possession of a controlled substance and was sentenced to 36 months of probation.
🔮 The TTucker Productions founder — who famously quit his job as a “RHOA” producer so he could date Kandi without conflict — is also admittedly confused by her outrage over one specific moment that was highlighted in the first “Til Divorce Do Us Part” trailer.
🔮 While our sources acknowledged that the two were recently having a “challenging time” and decided to take a few days apart to get back on track, one of the sources insisted there was a “clear” understanding that they were “still a couple” and would “not date other people” during that time.
🔮 A forensic interviews, notably, is “a neutral, developmentally and culturally appropriate conversation with a child intended to elicit detailed information about a possible event(s) that the child may have experienced or witnessed,” per the Georgia Center for Child Advocacy.
🔮 “In protecting the best interests of the children, Mother will not put into this public pleading what is alleged to be on REDACTED,” the motion states.
🔮 Convicted fraudster Elizabeth Holmes may have some cash to come home to after she completes her hefty federal prison sentence in February 2030.
🔮 The passenger who was sitting next to Thornton on a May 14 American Airlines flight from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Los Angeles took photos of him looking at, reading and seemingly engaging in a conversation on “lifeline.chat,” a website which purportedly claims to offer mental health support to individuals with pedophilic thoughts.
Also by Bernie Zilio
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 16 articles by Bernie Zilio →
Nate Grant
12 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
🔮 His distinct neck tattoos could also be seen in the clip.
🔮 Sabàto Jr., 54, has signed exclusively with the Los Angeles-based agency, where founder and CEO Dominique Enchinton will oversee the next phase of his career, we’re told.
2026-09-26 · assertive framing · Antonio Sabàto Jr. is getting back in the fast lane
🔮 Jamar Goff, 23, was the subject of a protective order in Alabama after a woman he was allegedly in a “dating relationship” accused him of a series of violent incidents in May 2025, according to legal filing obtained by Page Six.
🔮 “In time, she hopes that being open about her experiences may help other young people facing their own struggles, but for now, we ask for compassion and privacy as she and her family continue to navigate this together,” the statement concluded.
🔮 I know her heart, and I know that what people may see from the outside does not tell the whole story of what someone is experiencing privately,” he said.
🔮 In May 2002, Nabavi pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge of possession of a controlled substance and was sentenced to 36 months of probation.
🔮 The source, who got to know Presley while he was working on and off at Cafe Habana, the Malibu, California, restaurant co-owned by his father, Rande Gerber, during the COVID-19 pandemic, said they would have “deep, very open talks.”
🔮 The Reiner family would be required to disclose what happened to Rob and Michele if they tried to sell their $14 million Brentwood mansion anytime soon, which could make it challenging — but not impossible — to find a potential buyer.
🔮 “In protecting the best interests of the children, Mother will not put into this public pleading what is alleged to be on REDACTED,” the motion states.
🔮 As a result of his acceptance, the State Attorney’s Office directed the Clerk of Court to cancel the upcoming May trial and remove the case from the active court calendar.
Also by Nate Grant
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 12 articles by Nate Grant →
Teresa Roca
7 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
🔮 The office will provide no further updates until results are received and the investigation is complete, according to the statement.
🔮 As the tour got underway, fans began commenting on Grande’s thin appearance, prompting her to speak out and announce she would be taking some time away from the public eye.
🔮 The docs state it’s “urgent and essential” that Klitschko, 50, be appointed temporary guardian of Kaya’s estate so he “may receive, manage and hold” Kaya’s assets on her behalf.
🔮 In May 2002, Nabavi pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge of possession of a controlled substance and was sentenced to 36 months of probation.
Also by Teresa Roca
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 7 articles by Teresa Roca →

Topics

California Oakland Police Department Page Six the California Board of Psychology the California School of Professional Psychology

Subjects

Nabavi PERSON · 11× the California Board of Psychology ORG · 3× California GPE · 2× Santa Monica GPE · 2× Oakland Police Department ORG · 1× Page Six ORG · 1× Presley Gerber PERSON · 1× Promises Malibu ORG · 1× Reza Nabavi PERSON · 1× the California School of Professional Psychology ORG · 1×

Narrative

Those probationary terms and conditions included submitting to a psychological evaluation, notifying his employer of his probation, being monitored weekly by a California-licensed psychologist, entering a drug and alcohol abuse recovery program, committing to ongoing treatment and submitting to random drug and alcohol testing, per official documents.
framing: mixed · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-09-24
🔮 In May 2002, Nabavi pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge of possession of a controlled substance and was sentenced to 36 months of probation.

Claims (29 extracted, 7 hedged)

Dr. Reza Nabavi, the founder and owner of the “rehab” where Presley Gerber died of a suspected overdose, once had his psychology license denied over his criminal past involving drugs and a minor, Page Six has exclusively learned. asserted
Page → die → drugs
We can confirm that in February 2002 — two years before he obtained his Ph.D in clinical psychology at the California School of Professional Psychology — Nabavi, now 50, was arrested after Oakland Police Department officers found him asleep in a car in an area known for “frequent narcotic and prostitution activity.” asserted
him → confirm → activity
Nabavi, who was 25 at the time, was with a 15-year-old girl, who told responding officers she did not know him very well and was under the influence of methamphetamine, per official documents. asserted
she → tell → documents
After a search of Nabavi’s vehicle, the officers said they found meth, marijuana, a hunting knife, a handgun and ammunition. asserted
they → say → meth
In May 2002, Nabavi pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge of possession of a controlled substance and was sentenced to 36 months of probation. uncertain
Nabavi → plead → probation
Later that month, we can confirm he was arrested again for possessing narcotics and narcotics paraphernalia after getting caught agreeing to sell meth to an informant. asserted
he → confirm → informant
Upon searching his person, officers said they found meth, a glass meth pipe and marijuana. asserted
they → search → meth
In June 2002, Nabavi pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge of possession of a controlled substance and was once again sentenced to 36 months of probation. asserted
Nabavi → plead → probation
In September 2004, he submitted to the California Board of Psychology an application for registration as a psychologist. asserted
he → submit → psychologist
According to official documents, the application was denied later that month due to the conviction of a crime, the conviction of a crime substantially related to the qualifications and practice of a psychologist, the use of a controlled substance and unprofessional conduct. uncertain
application → accord → substance
We can confirm that Nabavi was eventually able to register as a psychological assistant in January 2006. asserted
Nabavi → confirm → January
The following month, however, that registration was revoked but stayed — with “stayed” meaning the revocation would not go into effect unless Nabavi did not comply with specific probationary terms and conditions for five years, per the California Board of Psychology. asserted
Nabavi → revoke → Psychology
Those probationary terms and conditions included submitting to a psychological evaluation, notifying his employer of his probation, being monitored weekly by a California-licensed psychologist, entering a drug and alcohol abuse recovery program, committing to ongoing treatment and submitting to random drug and alcohol testing, per official documents. asserted
terms → include → documents
After another denial in May 2005, we can confirm that Nabavi was finally able to register as a psychologist in December 2006 in compliance with the terms and conditions of his probation. uncertain
Nabavi → confirm → probation
The California Board of Psychology — which granted Nabavi an early termination of his probation in May 2008 — currently lists his license expiration date as June 30, 2028. uncertain
which → grant → June
Nabavi went on to serve as the director of family services at the since-closed, celebrity-frequented rehab center Promises Malibu from June 2006 to May 2011. uncertain
Nabavi → go → May
Two years later, he opened the halfway house Resolutions Living (RL) in Santa Monica, California, where the 27-year-old son of Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber died on Sunday. asserted
son → open → Sunday
Nabavi is the founder and owner of RL as well as the founder and executive director of Resolutions Therapeutic Services (RTS), a clinical outpatient treatment provider claiming to offer partial hospitalization program (PHP), intensive outpatient program (IOP) and outpatient program (OP) services. asserted
Nabavi → claim → program
It operates out of an office building in Santa Monica, and participants are encouraged to continue their recovery at RL. asserted
participants → operate → RL
The County of Los Angeles Medical Examiner, which has not yet released Presley’s cause of death, listed his place of death as a “rehabilitation facility.” asserted
which → release → facility
But RL — a $7.7 million three-story home with “breathtaking views of the local mountains and ocean,” located in a “prestigious” residential neighborhood — is not a “licensed substance use disorder residential treatment facility,” according to a rep for the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS). uncertain
RL → locate → Services
The rep explained to us, “Based on publicly available information, the program appears to operate as a sober living environment or recovery residence, which is not licensed by DHCS and therefore not subject to state licensure requirements.” asserted
which → explain → requirements
The facility’s website seems to have updated much of its wording and scrubbed its entire “staff page” in the days following Presley’s death. asserted
website → seem → death
RL’s website previously stated via its now-defunct FAQ page that individuals without sufficient clean time for its outpatient programs are referred elsewhere to be “medically supervised for their detoxification phase under 24-hour nursing care.” asserted
individuals → state → care
It’s unclear whether Presley was medically evaluated at the time of his admission to RL. uncertain
Presley → ’ → RL
Reps for Nabavi, RL and the Gerber-Crawford family did not immediately respond to Page Six’s requests for comment. asserted
Reps → respond → comment
If you or someone you care about is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357). asserted
you → care → HELP
Conversation Your voice matters. asserted
voice → matter → ?
Discussions are moderated for civility. asserted
Discussions → moderate → civility
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