Presley, the only son of Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber, died on Sept. 20 of an apparent overdose
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NEED TO KNOW
- On Sept. 25, Charlotte D’Alessio shared a heartfelt tribute to her ex-boyfriend Presley Gerber after his death at age 27
- Presley, the only son of Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber, died on Sept. 20 and had been open about his struggles with mental health and addiction
- “Love you so much Pres,” D’Alessio wrote in the caption of her Instagram post
Charlotte D’Alessio is continuing to mourn the loss of her ex-boyfriend Presley Gerber.
On Friday, Sept. 25, the 28-year-old Canadian model paid tribute to Gerber in a bittersweet social media post following his death at the age of 27. Gerber, the son of model Cindy Crawford and businessman Rande Gerber, died on Sept. 20 of an apparent overdose.
“♥️ rest easy king,” D’Alessio began the caption to an Instagram carousel dedicated to Presley. “Love you so much Pres.”
Her first image was a black-and-white picture of the former couple hugging as they stared directly into the camera. She also included a video of the pair riding a mechanical bull, along with a couple of solo candid shots of Presley.
In one image, Presley smiles while wearing a pear of sunglasses and a scarf around his neck. In another clip, he can be seen wakeboarding.
“connected for life, I’ll talk to you soon,” she concluded her caption. The former couple dated for two years beginning in 2018.
She also shared Instagram Stories about her loss in the immediate days following his death.
“Shared a pure love with you & for that I thank & honor your life. You deserved more time. You deserved more life. Very angry ab[out] this,” she wrote over a photo of them standing on a dock as he gently held onto her waist.
Presley, who was the older sibling of model and The Shards actress Kaia Gerber, died at a rehab facility, according to Los Angeles County Medical Examiner records obtained by PEOPLE.
“The family is asking for privacy during this very difficult and painful time,” a representative for the Gerbers previously told PEOPLE.
Credit: Jamie McCarthy/Getty
Presley had previously been open about his struggles with mental health and substance abuse.
“Having struggled with mental health, depression and some other things that come along with that, I think that 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 said on the Studio 22 podcast three years ago.
He would also share his mental health journey on social media.
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“The family is in total shock right now. They are saddened beyond words,” a source told PEOPLE. “Kaia loved that Presley was so open about his struggles; his family was so proud that he was finding strength in helping others.”
A second source added, “This was never a situation involving two absent Hollywood parents. 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.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health challenges, emotional distress, substance use problems, or just needs to talk, call or text 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org 24/7.
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