Kaia Gerber Says Brother Presley’s Addiction Struggle “Leveled” Their Family
PARIS, FRANCE - SEPTEMBER 29: (L-R) Presley Gerber,Kaia Gerber,Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber attend"Her Time" Omega Photocall as part of the Paris Fashion Week Womenswear Spring/Summer 2018 on September 29, 2017 in Paris, France. Photo Credit: Pascal Le Segretain
by Chris Tremblay Aug 13
3 MIN READ
Kaia Gerber has spoken publicly about her brother Presley Gerber’s substance-use and mental-health struggles, describing the effect of his experience on their family in a new interview with Vogue.
“When something like that happens in a family, it kind of levels everyone,” Kaia said, according to reports on the interview.
She said the family circumstances contributed to her identifying herself as “the easy one” and avoiding requests for help because, in her words, “it felt like too much to have two children who were needing.”
The comments appeared in Vogue’s September 2026 cover story featuring Kaia and actor Homer Gere, her co-star in the television adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis’s novel The Shards.
Kaia also discussed the contrast between her parents’ longstanding privacy and Presley’s decision to share aspects of his experience publicly.
“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,’” she said.
Kaia added that “there’s only so much you can hide from the world” and said that trying to conceal a person’s difficulties can make that person feel ashamed.
The remarks represent a rare discussion by Kaia of Presley’s health and recovery experiences, which he has addressed more directly through social-media posts and videos.
Presley, the son of model Cindy Crawford and businessman Rande Gerber, has previously spoken about addiction, depression, anxiety and other mental-health concerns.
Reports on Presley’s past disclosures say he described a severe, multiyear opiate addiction and a near-fatal fentanyl overdose that left him in a coma for several days.
Those details were reported in connection with statements Presley made in 2024, when he also said he intended to enter rehabilitation for ibogaine treatment.
The available reports do not independently establish the clinical effectiveness or safety of the treatment Presley described, and no medical professional is quoted in the recent coverage evaluating his care.
In a video discussed by People and other outlets, Presley said he was taking buprenorphine, Xanax and Valium in connection with panic attacks and other mental-health symptoms.
He said the amount of benzodiazepine medication he was taking had fluctuated and expressed uncertainty about the direction of his treatment after consulting more than 15 psychiatrists.
Presley also said he had experienced significant loss and was seeking a doctor who could provide a more structured plan for tapering medication.
Kaia’s comments place Presley’s disclosures within a family that has generally avoided discussing private matters publicly.
She did not describe specific conversations with her parents about Presley’s treatment, nor did she offer a medical assessment of his current condition.
Instead, she focused on the emotional consequences for the family and on the way Presley’s public honesty had changed how she understood secrecy and shame.
The Vogue interview also included Kaia’s discussion of her own health and disordered-eating struggles, although the Presley-related remarks were presented as part of a broader conversation about family, childhood and personal vulnerability.
Neither Kaia nor Presley’s comments, as reported, provide a definitive account of every stage of his treatment or recovery.
The siblings’ public comments illustrate how substance use and mental-health challenges can affect relatives as well as the person experiencing them.
Kaia’s account specifically describes a family dynamic in which she suppressed her own needs because she believed another child already required substantial attention.
Her remarks do not assign blame to any family member, and the reporting does not include a response from Cindy Crawford or Rande Gerber about the interview.
For people in the United States experiencing a mental-health or substance-use crisis, People’s report directs readers to call or text 988 or use 988lifeline.org for free, confidential support available around the clock.
She said the family circumstances contributed to her identifying herself as “the easy one” and avoiding requests for help because, in her words, “it felt like too much to have two children who were needing.”
The comments appeared in Vogue’s September 2026 cover story featuring Kaia and actor Homer Gere, her co-star in the television adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis’s novel The Shards.
Praise for Presley’s openness
Kaia also discussed the contrast between her parents’ longstanding privacy and Presley’s decision to share aspects of his experience publicly.
“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,’” she said.
Kaia added that “there’s only so much you can hide from the world” and said that trying to conceal a person’s difficulties can make that person feel ashamed.
The remarks represent a rare discussion by Kaia of Presley’s health and recovery experiences, which he has addressed more directly through social-media posts and videos.
What Presley has disclosed
Presley, the son of model Cindy Crawford and businessman Rande Gerber, has previously spoken about addiction, depression, anxiety and other mental-health concerns.
Reports on Presley’s past disclosures say he described a severe, multiyear opiate addiction and a near-fatal fentanyl overdose that left him in a coma for several days.
Those details were reported in connection with statements Presley made in 2024, when he also said he intended to enter rehabilitation for ibogaine treatment.
The available reports do not independently establish the clinical effectiveness or safety of the treatment Presley described, and no medical professional is quoted in the recent coverage evaluating his care.
In a video discussed by People and other outlets, Presley said he was taking buprenorphine, Xanax and Valium in connection with panic attacks and other mental-health symptoms.
He said the amount of benzodiazepine medication he was taking had fluctuated and expressed uncertainty about the direction of his treatment after consulting more than 15 psychiatrists.
Presley also said he had experienced significant loss and was seeking a doctor who could provide a more structured plan for tapering medication.
Family privacy and public disclosure
Kaia’s comments place Presley’s disclosures within a family that has generally avoided discussing private matters publicly.
She did not describe specific conversations with her parents about Presley’s treatment, nor did she offer a medical assessment of his current condition.
Instead, she focused on the emotional consequences for the family and on the way Presley’s public honesty had changed how she understood secrecy and shame.
The Vogue interview also included Kaia’s discussion of her own health and disordered-eating struggles, although the Presley-related remarks were presented as part of a broader conversation about family, childhood and personal vulnerability.
Neither Kaia nor Presley’s comments, as reported, provide a definitive account of every stage of his treatment or recovery.
A broader conversation about support
The siblings’ public comments illustrate how substance use and mental-health challenges can affect relatives as well as the person experiencing them.
Kaia’s account specifically describes a family dynamic in which she suppressed her own needs because she believed another child already required substantial attention.
Her remarks do not assign blame to any family member, and the reporting does not include a response from Cindy Crawford or Rande Gerber about the interview.
For people in the United States experiencing a mental-health or substance-use crisis, People’s report directs readers to call or text 988 or use 988lifeline.org for free, confidential support available around the clock.
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