Presley Gerber, the 27-year-old son of model Cindy Crawford and businessman Rande Gerber, died Sunday at a rehabilitation facility in California, according to Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office records.
A representative for Cindy Crawford confirmed the death to Fox News Digital and shared a family statement: “The family is asking for privacy during this very difficult and painful time.”
An official cause of death has not been determined. Audio recordings obtained by People indicate police received a 911 call Sunday morning reporting a cardiac arrest at a facility in the 1000 block of Berkeley Street, while a separate dispatch flagged the response as a potential overdose. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office has confirmed an autopsy was completed, but the cause of death remains undetermined pending further testing.
Gerber had spoken publicly for years about struggles with substance use and mental health, including a social media post describing an ibogaine treatment he underwent in Mexico.
What Happens Inside Rehab Facilities
Nicholas Kardaris, Ph.D., CEO and chief clinical officer of the New York Center for Living in Manhattan and a clinical professor at Stony Brook Medicine’s School of Social Welfare, spoke with Fox News Digital about the risks families should understand around relapse, overdose and treatment. Kardaris has not treated Gerber and has no connection to the case; his comments are general observations about addiction treatment, not statements about what happened to Gerber specifically.
Kardaris cautioned against assuming that dying inside a treatment facility points to any single cause. Possible explanations include an acute medical or cardiac event, an undiagnosed condition, or a medication-related complication.
“Younger people can sometimes die suddenly, and we don’t know whether they had an underlying medical issue,” Kardaris said. “It’s not impossible to have a medication-related event, particularly if someone has an underlying heart disorder. Certain medications can trigger a cardiac episode.”
Being in treatment does not mean a person’s addiction has been resolved, he added.
“People are in rehab because they’re struggling with addiction. It doesn’t mean they’re cured of their addiction,” Kardaris said. “Facilities take great pains to make sure substances don’t come in, but it’s not a perfect system.”
Withdrawal Can Be Deadly on Its Own
Kardaris said withdrawal itself poses serious danger depending on the substance and the person’s level of dependence.
“People can die from withdrawal, but the substances that are most dangerous to withdraw from without proper medical supervision are benzodiazepines, such as Valium or Xanax, and alcohol,” he said.
Opioid withdrawal, while extremely uncomfortable, is generally not fatal by itself, according to Kardaris. Benzodiazepine withdrawal, by contrast, can trigger seizures and delirium. The FDA warns that stopping drugs like Xanax or Valium too quickly can cause severe reactions, including seizures.
“Someone might disclose heroin use but not mention that they’re also withdrawing from a benzodiazepine, such as Valium,” Kardaris said. “If they don’t receive medication to treat that withdrawal, they can have a seizure that can lead to fatal complications.”
One of the most dangerous windows for someone with opioid use disorder comes after detox, when tolerance has dropped.
“If someone relapses after rehab, they may use the same amount they were using before treatment — but their tolerance has gone down, and that amount can now be fatal,” he said.
Unregulated Treatments Draw Scrutiny
Kardaris noted that ibogaine, which Gerber had previously said he used in Mexico, is not FDA-approved for any medical use in the United States. Though studied experimentally for opioid use disorder, its safety and effectiveness remain unproven.
“Ketamine, ayahuasca and ibogaine are psychoactive or psychedelic treatments that have become increasingly popular,” Kardaris said. “There is some research indicating potential benefits, but they remain largely unregulated.”
Ketamine is FDA-approved only as an anesthetic, not for psychiatric disorders, though some clinicians use it off-label. Ibogaine and ayahuasca carry no FDA approval at all, and oversight of both varies widely.
“It’s a bit of the Wild West right now,” Kardaris said, while stressing that Gerber’s prior ibogaine use does not establish what substances he may have used before his death or what caused it.
Kardaris urged families evaluating treatment options for a loved one to verify a facility’s licensing and confirm that qualified medical professionals oversee patient care, including protocols for withdrawal, medication management and emergencies.
“Families should make sure licensed professionals are working there and that the program has a strong reputation,” he said. “There are bad actors in every profession — so families should look for a well-regarded treatment program with qualified people who know what they’re doing.”
Add comment