Gerber died at a rehabilitation facility on Sunday, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner confirmed, though the official cause of death has not been listed. Multiple US outlets, citing unnamed sources, now report that the death is being investigated as a suspected overdose.
Allie Jenkins, a representative for Crawford and her husband Rande Gerber, told CBS News: "The family is asking for privacy during this very difficult and painful time."
Gerber, a model who made his runway debut for Moschino at age 16 and later worked with brands including Burberry, Dolce & Gabbana, and Bottega Veneta, had spoken openly about his mental health challenges and drug use. In a 2023 podcast interview, he said: "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."
His sister, model and actor Kaia Gerber, told Vogue in an interview published last month that her brother's decade-long drug addiction had taken a toll on the family. "I think that's also why I started to self-identify as the easy one and never wanted to ask for help," she said, adding that she was proud of him for seeking help and that the siblings shared a close relationship.
Gerber ran a "Mental Health Mondays" series on social media and had undergone psychoactive drug therapy in Mexico earlier this year. He was arrested for driving under the influence in 2019 and sentenced to three years' probation. Tributes have been flowing on his Instagram profile.