Presley Gerber's Family Seeks a Private Malibu Memorial as Relatives Struggle After the Model's Death at 27

LOS ANGELES — The family of Presley Gerber is still deciding how to honor him and wants any memorial kept private, sources told People, nearly two weeks after the model died at 27 at a rehabilitation facility.

"They're still deciding where they want to honor Presley," an insider said of the family, including his mother, Cindy Crawford, his father, Rande Gerber, and his sister, Kaia Gerber. "It's hard to make those decisions when everyone is struggling emotionally. Their priority is to keep it private, without media or paparazzi there."

A second source said the family is "still figuring out what to do in terms of a memorial." "They want to keep it very intimate, but there's so many people in Presley's life who loved him, the amount of people that have reached out to attend is high," the source said. "The plan right now is somewhere in Malibu because of his love for surfing and the beach."

Gerber died on Sunday, Sept. 20, at a rehabilitation facility, the Los Angeles County medical examiner said. He was 27. An autopsy has been completed. The cause of death is deferred. A representative confirmed the death the same day and asked for privacy. "The family is asking for privacy during this very difficult and painful time," the representative told People.

A source close to Kaia Gerber, 25, said the family was in "total shock." "They are saddened beyond words," the source said. "Kaia loved that Presley was so open about his struggles; his family was so proud that he was finding strength in helping others."

Another source who has been close to Crawford rejected any account of distant parents. "This was never a situation involving two absent Hollywood parents," the source said. "Cindy and Rande could not have been more supportive of Presley. They were always there for him and did everything they could to help him. The family has always been incredibly close, and Presley was deeply loved."

Crawford has said, in a People interview months before her son's death, that she was proud her children loved each other. A later source told the magazine she was heartbroken. Those comments sit beside the practical problem the family now has: a private service, and a list of people who want to come.

Gerber had spoken publicly about his mental health and substance use. His last public appearance was in June, at a mental-health event in Malibu with his parents, where he talked about his own history and urged people to be honest about it. The memorial idea sources described — Malibu, the beach, surfing — tracks that last setting more than a Hollywood service.

The medical examiner's deferral means the official cause is not settled. Related reporting has described an apparent overdose and cardiac arrest before he died. Until the examiner releases a finding, that remains outside the formal record. What is on the record is the place, the date, the age and the family's request to be left alone.

Kaia Gerber has not issued her own statement in the accounts published so far. The sources speaking about her describe shock and pride in her brother's candor, not a plan for the service. Crawford and Rande Gerber have not been quoted directly on the memorial. The representative's only public line is the request for privacy.

For a family that has lived in front of cameras for decades, the constraint is the point. Sources said the priority is no media and no paparazzi. A Malibu gathering can still draw a crowd if the guest list is not held. The second source's tension — intimate, but many people who loved him — is the decision they have not finished.

If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org. The SAMHSA helpline is 1-800-662-HELP.