George Clooney has spoken publicly for the first time about the death of Presley Gerber, the son of his longtime friends Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber.
Clooney addressed the loss on October 9 while attending The Albies in London with his wife, Amal. The annual ceremony is hosted by their Clooney Foundation for Justice.
Presley, a model and the older brother of Kaia Gerber, died on September 20 at age 27.
A representative confirmed his death and asked for privacy on the family’s behalf.
Clooney Said He Was Not Ready to Talk About the Loss
“I don’t think we’re even in the position of even being able to talk about it,” Clooney told Entertainment Tonight, according to Page Six.
“Quite honestly, it’s one of the most devastating things that’s happened to our family,” he said. “And their family is just, as you can imagine, it’s the worst thing that could happen to the family.”
Crawford Reflected on Their Friendship in January
In a January 9 interview with PEOPLE at the WWD Style Awards, Crawford recalled knowing Clooney as a bachelor and watching his life change after he met Amal. “Now he’s fully dad and husband. He’s great,” Crawford said.
Clooney and Rande also co-founded Casamigos with Mike Meldman. In a 2013 Vanity Fair interview about the tequila’s commercial launch, the partners explained that they had initially made it for themselves, family and friends. At the time, Clooney and Rande owned adjacent homes in Baja, Mexico, which shared the Casamigos name.
Presley’s Cause and Manner of Death Remain Deferred
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner said a deputy completed an examination on September 21 and requested additional testing or studies before determining the cause and manner of death. The department said deferred cases can take a few months to resolve. It did not disclose which tests had been requested.
Santa Monica police said detectives were investigating a suspected overdose after officers responded to a property on Berkeley Street. The department reported no indication of foul play.
Presley Shared His Treatment Experience in March
View this post on Instagram
In a March 26 Instagram post, Presley shared footage of himself before undergoing what he described as an “ibogaine flood dose.” He wrote about feeling frightened, struggling to give up control and confronting problems he had previously avoided.
He said he had begun finding his way back to himself and was “praying it’s the last time I have to come back.” He also thanked the people who had supported him during the experience.
Crawford praised her son’s courage in the comments, while Rande encouraged him to keep fighting for his life. Kaia also expressed pride in her brother, as Us Weekly reported.
During a 2023 appearance on the Studio 22 podcast, Presley had discussed his experiences with depression and said helping even one person through similar difficulties would make sharing his story worthwhile. He hoped others could learn from his mistakes without having to repeat them.