George Clooneyis keeping his business partnerRande Gerber in his thoughts.
After Rande and his wife Cindy Crawford‘s 27-year-old son Presley Gerber died from a suspected overdose on Sept. 20, the Oscar winner shared his condolences and offered his support to the couple as they continue to navigate an unimaginable tragedy.
“Quite honestly, it’s one of the most devastating things that’s happened to our family,” Clooney—who co-founded Casamigos Tequila with Rande in 2013—told Entertainment Tonight on Oct. 9 at The Albies, an annual awards ceremony hosted by his Clooney Foundation for Justice, “and their family is just as you can imagine.”
He added, “It’s the worst thing that could ever happen with family.”
Presley was the only son of Rande and Crawford, who married in 1998. The couple also share daughter Kaia Gerber.
Kaia, 25, had been open about her brother’s decade-long struggle with drug addiction prior to his death. She told Voguein an interview published in August, one month before Presley’s passing, “When something like that happens in a family, it kind of levels everyone.”
“I think that’s also why I started to self-identify as the easy one and never wanted to ask for help,” theShards star shared at the time. “Because it felt like too much to have two children who were needing.”
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Inside Presley Gerber’s Close Bond With Kaia Gerber, Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber
Still, Kaia praised Presley for publicly addressing his struggles, including launching his social media series “Mental Health Mondays” in 2023 to discuss healthy habits and tools he learned over the years to manage his wellbeing.
“My parents for most of our lives were very, very private and didn’t share anything—and now we have this absolute teacher, my brother, who says, ‘I’m gonna be very human for everyone,’” the Palm Royale actress continued. “There’s only so much you can hide from the world. And trying to put a lid on something just makes the person feel like you’re ashamed of them.”
Indeed, Presley was candid about his journey. In March, he shared on Instagram that he would be undergoing an “ibogaine flood dose”—a high dose of naturally occurring psychedelics found in the iboga plant that’s sometimes used to treat addiction—and was “praying it’s the last time I have to come back.”
At the time, his parents commended his courage.
“You are a warrior!” Crawford wrote in the comments section, while her longtime husband added, “Facing what’s hard takes real strength and watching you find your way back to yourself is everything. I love you so much.”
Read on for a closer look at Presley through the years.
Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images
