Cindy Crawford, husband Rande Gerber, and their daughter Kaia Gerber are currently mourning the loss of Presley Gerber, who passed away at a rehab facility at the age of 27 on Sunday, September 20th. His death is currently being investigated as a suspected overdose.
Amid the outpouring of support for the grieving family, Cindy and Rande have also faced criticism over whether they did enough to help their son navigate his addiction and mental health struggles. However, fans and insiders have now come to their defense, with one source insisting that they were far from “two absent Hollywood parents” and “did everything they could to help him.” Keep reading for more info…
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Megyn Kelly Criticizes Cindy Crawford And Rande Gerber's Parenting
Megyn Kelly, who is not shy about sharing her true thoughts on controversial topics, criticized Cindy and Rande just one day after their son's death was announced, claiming that his struggles may have been partly linked to Presley and his sister Kaia – often referred to as nepo babies – being "commercialized" from a young age and beginning their modeling careers as teenagers.
"Let's face it, both kids were commercialized," the 55-year-old controversial conservative commentator said on The Megyn Kelly Show. "He said he was signed when he was 15. And Cindy Crawford of all people should have known the dangers of that. She should have known the dangers," she added.
Kelly, who described the choice to let them model at such a young age as "a reckless decision," went on to talk about some of the potential dangers of being a young boy in the industry, and added: "You've got a teenage boy being sent over to New York, to Europe, Hollywood, and he remarked several times about how bizarre it was to grow up in Hollywood." She added: "And you better watch him. There are predators in that industry, predators in modeling, in music, in Hollywood."
“I have a lot of questions about how he overdosed in a rehab facility…”@megynkelly on Cindy Crawford’s son Presley Gerber found dead at age 27 after years of documenting addiction and medications. Watch below, and download:https://t.co/zt0Gne7Yxe pic.twitter.com/ovSgv2FxJC
— The Megyn Kelly Show (@MegynKellyShow) September 21, 2026
Many people on social media slammed Kelly for her comments, which were deemed "cruel," "disgusting," and "insensitive," among other things. "To publicly criticize someone who has lost a child the day before is disgusting. You should be ashamed," slammed one X user.
"This sickens me how you are exploiting the death of this young man. Show some respect and let his family grieve in private," concurred a second, as a third said: "Here comes the evil Megyn to bash the dead boy's grieving parents."
The same user added: "To weigh in on something the family has expressly asked for privacy on. This evil [expletive] doesn't know the family. Doesn't know anything about this incident how dare she host a whole show on the subject?"
Insiders Defend Cindy Crawford And Rande Gerber
Insiders close to the family have defended Cindy and Rande, with one insider telling People that they never ignored their son's struggles and were always there to support him.
"This was never a situation involving two absent Hollywood parents," the source confirmed. "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."
The source went on to explain that things weren't always consistent for Presley, describing him as "very up and down." However, there were times when he appeared to be doing much better, with the insider saying: "There were times when Presley was doing really well. A few years ago, he was working at the family restaurant in Malibu and seemed to be in a good place."
Despite the difficult times, the insider made it clear that his family remained by his side throughout his struggles. "That is what makes this so heartbreaking. His family never stopped supporting him, loving him and hoping that he would be okay."
Kaia Gerber Previously Opened Up About Her Brother's Struggles
Kaia Gerber, 25, has also spoken about her older brother's struggles in the past, seemingly suggesting that they weren't something the family tried to hide or sweep under the rug.
Talking to Vogue about her brother's public struggles with addiction and mental health, she said: "When something like that happens in a family, it kind of levels everyone. I think that's also why I started to self-identify as the easy one and never wanted to ask for help. Because it felt like too much to have two children who were needing."
The model and actress continued to speak proudly about her brother, particularly his willingness to be open about his struggles, including his decision to publicly discuss taking buprenorphine, a medication used to treat opioid addiction, in a since-deleted video on Instagram. She said: "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.' There's only so much you can hide from the world. And trying to put a lid on something just makes the person feel like you're ashamed of them."
