The Untold Struggles Presley Gerber Faced Before His Tragic Death
Presley Gerber revealed he was taking medications like Valium, buprenorphine and Xanax to treat various mental health and substance abuse issues in the months leading up to his death.
“Here’s some clarity for ya – the truth will set you free (hopefully) haha. I’ve had a lot of loss in many different forms recently. That is not an excuse, but it’s the reason — or part of —why I am where I’m at now,” he captioned a since-deleted upload on Dec. 1, 2025, per Just Jared.
According to Presley, he was taking Valium to help calm the central nervous system, buprenorphine to treat pain and opioid use disorders and Xanax for “when the panic attacks [were] really, really bad.”
“Every psychiatrist I’ve had — and I’ve had, like, 15 — they’re all like, ‘Here’s 20 medications. Take this if you feel like this, take this as needed,'” he explained, addressing the challenging task of managing the various prescriptions.
“And I’m like, ‘No, don’t give me that much leeway. I need some direction.'”
Presley also noted that he had heavily cut back from drinking — as alcohol was “no longer serving” him — and was focusing on having “good influences” around him as he battled addiction issues.
“I’ve grown up in Hollywood, and there’s a lot of people around that I love to death, but right now, I try not to be around them,” he explained.
“I’m hoping this reaches people in many ways so you feel like you’re not alone, because that is how I feel most of the time,” he concluded. “I have a feeling if I say all of this, a lot of people will at least know that there’s someone else going through it.”
As Page Six previously reported, Gerber tragically died on Sunday of a suspected overdose while in a Los Angeles rehab facility. He was 27.
His parents — supermodel Cindy Crawford and husband Rande Gerber, along with daughter Kaia Gerber — confirmed the sad news and asked “for privacy during this very difficult and painful time.”
In his final Instagram post, shared on on Aug. 5, Presley smiled while posing in what appeared to be a garden while modeling an outfit from Vuori clothing.
Presley divulged in the months leading up to his death that he had turned to unconventional methods to beat his substance use issues, including the use of ibogaine — a West African root bark psychoactive that can be used for opioid addiction.
He also shared updates during his “Mental Health Mondays” series on social media.
Last month, Presley’s sister Kaia, 24, praised her brother for his candid approach as he battled addiction, telling Vogue that he was the “greatest teacher” for showing that “there’s only so much you can hide from the world.”
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