Presley Gerber: Tragic Details About Cindy Crawford's Son

Kevin Mazur/Getty Images

The following article includes references to mental health struggles.

Some might argue that Presley Gerber was famous before he was even born — and it seems that celebrity kids are always at risk of leading troubled lives. Supermodel Cindy Crawford sent tongues wagging in June 1999 when she posed on the cover of W magazine while sporting nothing but her birthday suit and a beautiful baby bump. Fast forward to July 2, 1999, and she and her husband, model-turned-businessman Rande Gerber, welcomed their first child together: a son named Presley. Weighing in at eight pounds and four ounces, a rep for Crawford told CBS News that the infant was "in great shape, and the parents are over the moon."

As you can imagine, growing up as the child of not one but two celebrities certainly has its perks. Case in point: appearing in a Pepsi commercial alongside Cindy and sister at the ripe old age of 3. "They have been part of the Pepsi family really since they were little," the proud mama bear gushed to People in 2018. Sadly, the truth about Cindy's son, Presley, is that his life has not been without plenty of tragedy. 

Hollywood To You/star Max

In December 2018, Cindy Crawford's teenage son, Presley Gerber, was arrested and charged with driving under the influence. As reported by TMZ, the then-19-year-old was pulled over in the wee hours of the morning — 4 a.m. to be exact –  for speeding. But after the officer detected alcohol on Presley's breath, he was given a field sobriety test and promptly arrested after flunking it. The Beverly Hills Police Department Watch Commander told Radar that Presley was subsequently released on a $15,000 bail. Following his release, Presley's attorney, Scott Spindel, told TMZ that his client was taking the arrest "very seriously and is taking the necessary steps to address the allegations."

Unfortunately, one source claims that Presley's arrest wasn't exactly out of character. "Those kids are always wasted, they just do grown-up stuff with Rande and Cindy all the time," the insider told Radar, referring to both Presley and his younger sister, Kaia Gerber, who was 17 at the time. "They drink at parties all the time, they don't have a regular life," the source added. "Life is just one big party."

In the end, Presley and his attorney worked out a deal wherein he pleaded no contest to one misdemeanor count of driving with a .08% blood alcohol level. According to TMZ, the young model was sentenced to three years of probation. Additionally, he was ordered to enroll in a DUI program and complete two days of community service. 

Joe Seer/Shutterstock

Alas, things went from bad to worse for Presley Gerber when he was spotted sporting a face tat that simply read, "MISUNDERSTOOD." When pressed about the meaning of the art, he explained during an Instagram Live (via Page Six), "It says misunderstood, because that's how I felt my entire life." And while he seemed to be very pleased with the end result of the permanent body ink, it appeared that others were not, and that proved to be a point of contention for Gerber. "If I thought this was going to ruin my face or I didn't want this, I wouldn't have done it. I think that's a pretty obvious thing," he seethed during the Live video. But that's not all. He also invited those who disapproved of his new body art to tell it to his face. "Look at these f***ing haters out here," he said as viewers were commenting. "F*** you if you don't like it." 

Ironically, however, Gerber's permanent ink proved to be not so permanent. In August 2021, Gerber and his girlfriend at the time, Sydney Brooke, were spotted out and about in Malibu. Interestingly, his facial tattoo was nowhere to be seen. While a rep did not respond to People's inquiry and confirm whether or not Gerber had the tattoo removed, all signs point that way. Only one month prior, in July 2021, Presley posted a photo of himself in which the ink seemed noticeably fainter. 

Paul Morigi/Getty Images

It's no secret that growing up in the spotlight can be tough. Sadly, Presley Gerber understands that all too well. Following his DUI arrest and "MISUNDERSTOOD" tattoo, one source told Us Weekly in February 2020 that Presley was "obviously going through a super rebellious phase right now." 

While Presley's younger sister, Kaia Gerber, chimed in on the nepo baby discourse back in 2023, acknowledging that she had indeed benefited from having famous parents, it appears that Presley almost views his successful parents as a hindrance to his own personal and professional achievements. According to the source, Presley's antics were all part of a larger desire to "get out of the shadow of his family and find his own way and create his own identity." The insider added, "He also likes the attention he's been getting, even if negative, from his tattoo and recent posts." 

To make matters worse, the comparison game is strong between the Gerber siblings. "Presley feels like there's a lot of pressure on him because his parents and Kaia are so successful, and Kaia is thought of as a 'sweetheart' and Cindy and Rande have such respected reputations in everything they do," the source revealed. "He wants to do his own thing and find his own place in the world." Meanwhile, Kaia made her modeling debut when she was only 10 years old, has a stellar relationship with her famous mom Cindy Crawford, and has already carved out an impressive net worth for herself. As the old saying goes, comparison is the thief of joy.

Michael Kovac/Getty Images

Presley Gerber made headlines in November 2022 when he publicly declared his feelings for Lexi Wood, causing some to even question whether the pair were engaged. "Guys I did it..." Gerber penned in a since-deleted Instagram post (via Page Six) along with photos of the loved-up couple. Meanwhile, Wood seemingly confirmed the news by sharing Gerber's post to her story along with the infinity, red heart, and lock and key emoji. She also penned her own post that used to read, "If you didn't already know, I'm in love." It was punctuated with a teddy bear emoji. 

Sadly, the love fest and rumored engagement wouldn't last. "They realized very quickly it wasn't going to be a long-term relationship," a source told E! News merely one month after their grand declarations of love. However, another source maintained that it was actually Wood who did the breaking up. She "wants to focus on herself, her modeling, podcast and partnerships," the source explained of Wood's next steps post-Gerber. She also edited her love declaration post by removing the words so that only the teddy bear emoji remained.

Foc Kan/Getty Images

In February 2023, Presley Gerber appeared on an episode of the "Studio 22" podcast and spoke candidly about what he described as how he has "struggled with mental health, depression, and some other things that come along with that." Gerber said that it was very important to him that he use his platform to share his own experiences. "Whether I help one person or a hundred people get out of that place that I was in at one point in my life, that's all I need to do," he explained, later adding, "I've seen a lot of stuff, and I've learned a lot of things, and what I hope I can do is have made the mistakes for some other people so they don't have to make the same mistakes that I made." Gerber went on to reveal that listening to music, meditating, doing yoga, and even sound baths are all ways that he combats some of his depressive and anxious thoughts. 

Gerber also started a series of videos on his Instagram called "Mental Health Mondays." According to Gerber, the premise is to have an open discussion with his followers in the hopes that they can all learn and grow from each other. "I really hope you all join me on my journey through life and pursuit of happiness," he penned in part on a post while introducing the series of videos. "Always remember...an L is a lesson not a loss!" he added.

If you or someone you know needs help with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.