Kaia Gerber praised brother Presley for speaking openly about addiction before his death

Kaia Gerber praised her brother Presley Gerber’s transparency about his addiction battle and mental health struggles one month before his death.

While chatting with Vogue for her September cover story, published last month, the model labeled her sibling the “greatest teacher” for showing her “there’s only so much you can hide from the world.”

Presley, notably, posted a since-deleted Instagram video in December 2025 in which he revealed his prescription medication dependency — and, shortly after, he told his followers he was five months sober from alcohol.

In March, he faced what he “had been running from” at a wellness clinic in Mexico, with Kaia commenting that he was a “warrior” she was “so damn proud” of.

Kaia, 25, pointed out in her August interview that Presley’s transparency differed from their parents, Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber, who “were very, very private and didn’t share anything … for most of [their] lives.”

The actress noted that “trying to put a lid on something just makes the person feel like you’re ashamed of them.”

Kaia, additionally, reflected on the effect Presley’s ups and downs had on their family dynamic.

“When something like that happens in a family, it kind of levels everyone,” she explained. “I think that’s also why I started to self-​identify as the easy one and never wanted to ask for help.”

The “Shards” star noted, “It felt like too much to have two children who were needing.”

When news broke Sunday that Presley died in an undisclosed rehab facility, Kaia and her parents released a joint statement requesting “privacy during this very difficult and painful time.”

Kaia has yet to speak out further on the tragedy.

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).

This is a developing story…