Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber said they were “beyond heartbroken” in a tribute to their “sweet and beautiful” son, Presley.
Their oldest child died at age 27 at a rehabilitation center on Sept. 20, according to Los Angeles County medical examiner records. The cause of his death has not been revealed.
Crawford and Gerber released an emotional statement on Instagram on Sunday.
“We are heartbroken to lose our beloved son and brother,” it read. “We feel so lucky to have had Presley in our lives for 27 years.
“He is a gentle and beautiful soul who loved and is loved, now and forever. We are so proud of the way he showed himself in the world, with kindness and vulnerability.
“We are grateful for the outpouring of love and support from so many people who know and love our family and even strangers who feel our pain.
“Until we find our sweet boy.”
The message was signed “with forever love” from Crawford and Gerber and their daughter, Kaia Gerber.
Kaia, who like her mother is a model, also voiced her support in the comments, sharing a message on her own page alongside a carousel of images and videos of her with Presley.
In a letter to her brother, she wrote: “Prez, I don’t have the words. Perhaps the small pity is that we haven’t needed them all along.”
She wrote that she had “none of the answers” and could not express the “magnitude” of her brother’s loss.
“You know how much I loved being your sister. It always has been and always will be my favorite thing about myself.”
The letter described her older brother as “inherently good” and her “ultimate teacher”, recounting childhood memories as she reflected on her grief.
“I learn to love you when I can’t see you,” she tells Kaia. “How to tell you something without picking up my phone to call you. How to be your sister in a world in which I can’t reach you. I don’t know how to do that yet.”
She concluded: “My best friend, my great protector, the one I’ve ever laughed the most with and the one true love of my life. You lit all my candles and took away all my monsters, and I love you.”
The message was set to the song First I Was by Jake Minch, which Kaia described as “the last thing we talked about.”
Actors Taylor Lautner and Patrick Schwarzenegger, singer Suki Waterhouse and socialite Paris Hilton commented on the post.
“My heart breaks for you and your family,” Hilton wrote. “Presley was truly one of a kind and I feel so lucky to have known him. I will always remember him with so much love.”
Presley was signed by IMG Models at the age of 15 and has modeled for brands including Burberry, Dolce & Gabbana and Bottega Veneta.
He spoke frequently about his struggles with depression and drug addiction.
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