Presley Gerber’s sober team reportedly told the Santa Monica residence where he died that he was already “high” before staff agreed to accept him.
Multiple sources, including one described as having direct knowledge, told TMZ that someone working with Presley contacted Resolutions Living on the afternoon of Sept. 19 and asked whether the sober-living residence would take him because he was under the influence. According to the sources, staff told the caller to bring him in.
Presley arrived that evening and reportedly remained under the influence of an unidentified substance. The 27-year-old son of Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber was found unresponsive the following morning and pronounced dead at 9:45 a.m. on Sept. 20.
Santa Monica police are investigating his death as a suspected overdose, but the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner has not determined an official cause or manner of death. No toxicology results have established what Presley had allegedly taken or whether the decision to admit him contributed to his death.
Staff Allegedly Told Presley’s Team to Bring Him In
TMZ’s sources said the call to Resolutions Living took place before Presley reached the property. A member of his sober team reportedly explained that they wanted to bring Presley to the residence but first needed to know whether staff would accept him in his current condition.
Staff allegedly agreed. After Presley arrived, sources described him as continuing to appear intoxicated and behaving erratically. The substance he had allegedly taken has not been publicly identified.
Resolutions Living’s owner did not respond to TMZ’s request for comment about the allegations. The residence has not publicly provided its account of the phone call, what staff were told about Presley’s condition or what assessment was conducted when he arrived.
Reports Differ on What Time Presley Arrived
TMZ places Presley’s arrival shortly after 6 p.m. on Sept. 19. NBC News, citing a law enforcement source, previously reported that he arrived at approximately 10 p.m.
TMZ separately reported that a friend and a personal coach who was part of Presley’s support team brought him to the residence after his team arranged the placement.
Sources told the outlet that Crawford, Rande and Kaia Gerber knew Presley had been struggling and had discussed him returning to treatment, but claimed the family did not know he was going to Resolutions Living. Those details have not been confirmed publicly by the Gerber family.
Resolutions Living Was Not a Licensed Residential Detox Facility
The California Department of Health Care Services told TMZ that it had no record of Resolutions Living operating as a licensed residential substance-use disorder treatment facility in Santa Monica.
The agency said available information indicated that the property operated as a sober-living environment or recovery residence. Homes in that category do not require the same DHCS license as residential substance-use treatment centers as long as they are not providing services such as detoxification or treatment planning.
Resolutions Living’s own website describes the property as a mental-health recovery residence offering a sober-living program, long-term housing and 24/7 on-site staff.
The Los Angeles Times reported that Resolutions Living is not subject to the state oversight applied to licensed treatment facilities because it operates as a recovery residence and does not offer treatment on site. The owners operate a separate licensed mental-health treatment facility, Resolutions Therapeutic Services, about a mile away.
The lack of a residential substance-use treatment license does not by itself establish that Resolutions Living was operating illegally. It does distinguish the residence from a facility licensed to provide medical detoxification or residential addiction treatment.
An Addiction-Treatment Operator Questioned the Decision to Admit Him
Nick Mathews, who operates a separate drug-treatment center and is not identified as having treated Presley, told TMZ that someone actively using substances should not be admitted to a sober-living facility that is not equipped or licensed to manage detoxification.
Mathews’ comments represent his professional opinion based on the circumstances described to him. There has been no public regulatory finding that Resolutions Living violated a law or medical standard by accepting Presley.
People close to Presley had previously told TMZ that they believed he should have been directed to a medical detox facility when he arrived under the influence. The latest reporting adds the allegation that staff knew about his condition before he reached the property.
Presley Had Spoken Publicly About His Addiction and Recovery
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Months before his death, Presley had been open about his efforts to address addiction and his mental health.
In March, he shared an Instagram video from Mexico while preparing to undergo ibogaine treatment. Presley said he was frightened about the experience as he prepared for another attempt to address problems he had struggled with for years.
Crawford, Rande and Kaia publicly supported him beneath the post, leaving messages expressing their pride. Presley later appeared with his parents at a mental-health event in Malibu in June, where he discussed addiction, medication and his decision to speak openly about his experiences.
TMZ also cited sources close to Presley who said an unidentified doctor had been giving him ketamine despite his history of problems with the drug. The doctor has not been named, and toxicology results have not determined whether ketamine played any role in Presley’s death.
Presley’s Official Cause of Death Remains Deferred
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner said responding paramedics pronounced Presley dead at 9:45 a.m. on Sept. 20.
A deputy medical examiner examined his body the following day, but both the cause and manner of death were deferred pending additional testing or studies. The department said deferred cases can take several months before a final determination is made.
Santa Monica police have said they are investigating Presley’s death as a suspected overdose and have found no indication of foul play.