Paris Hilton is mourning longtime friend Presley Gerber after his death at 27.
“I’m completely heartbroken. I still can’t believe this is real,” Hilton wrote on Instagram Stories. She called Gerber a “beautiful soul” and remembered him as sweet, sensitive, kind and genuine, according to Page Six.
Gerber, the son of Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber and older brother of Kaia Gerber, died Sunday, September 20. Family representative Allie Jenkins confirmed his death to the Associated Press and said the family was asking for privacy during an extremely difficult and painful time. Los Angeles County Medical Examiner records listed a rehabilitation facility as his place of death, while a cause had not been publicly released.
Hilton and Gerber’s friendship had been visible for years through parties, social media and public events. He attended her 39th birthday celebration in Los Angeles in 2020 and walked the red carpet at the January premiere of her documentary Infinite Icon: A Visual Memoir.
Hilton Remembered Presley’s ‘Gentle Heart’
Hilton shared a photograph of herself with Gerber while writing about the parts of their friendship she expected to miss most.
“I’ll always cherish the memories we shared, the laughs, the conversations, and just being around you,” she wrote. Hilton also said Gerber had a “gentle heart” and hoped he knew how deeply he was loved.
She directed part of the message toward Crawford, Rande, Kaia and the rest of Gerber’s family before ending her tribute with, “Rest in peace, my friend. Love you forever. You will be so deeply missed.”
Gerber had attended Hilton’s February 2020 birthday party at her Los Angeles home, where guests included Kim Kardashian, Kourtney Kardashian, Heidi Klum and Travis Barker. He was 20 at the time.
Hilton Had Already Left a Message on Gerber’s Final Instagram Post
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Several hours before Gerber’s death became public, Hilton posted a brief message beneath the final post on his main Instagram feed.
“Love you bro,” she wrote, adding two affectionate emojis. Just Jared reported that the comment appeared before the news of his death was announced publicly. Hilton has not said when she learned he had died.
Gerber uploaded the Instagram post on August 5. The carousel showed him modeling pieces from Vuori, the activewear company that had previously featured Crawford, Rande, Presley and Kaia together.
He did not add another post to his main feed before his death.
Gerber Supported Hilton at Her Documentary Premiere in January
Gerber attended the January 20 world premiere of Hilton’s Infinite Icon: A Visual Memoir at AMC The Grove 14 in Los Angeles.
He arrived in an all-black outfit and posed for photographers at an event attended by Demi Lovato, Sia, Sofía Vergara, Heidi Klum, Tiffany Haddish and Carmen Electra.
The premiere became Gerber’s final red-carpet appearance, according to Just Jared.
Gerber continued making public appearances later in the year. He joined Crawford, Rande and Kaia at a May event celebrating Kaia’s RE/DONE collection, then appeared with his parents on June 11 at the We Are ENOUGH x Aviator Nation launch in Malibu.
At the June event, Gerber participated in a panel about mental health and spoke about becoming more willing to show vulnerability. PEOPLE reported that he encouraged people to take care of themselves through practices such as spending time outdoors, exercising and speaking honestly about what they were experiencing.
Gerber Had Become Increasingly Open About Mental Health
Gerber had spoken publicly in recent years about depression, addiction and the work involved in managing his mental health.
During a 2023 appearance on the Studio 22 podcast, he said he hoped discussing his own mistakes could help someone else avoid the same experiences. He later used social media for a series called “Mental Health Mondays,” where he addressed subjects he had dealt with personally.
His sister discussed the effect of his addiction on their family in an August Vogue interview. Kaia said she began seeing herself as “the easy one” because she did not want to add more pressure while her parents were focused on Presley’s difficulties.
As WOG reported at the time, Kaia also praised her brother for becoming more open about experiences their family had previously kept private.
“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 told Vogue.