Expert Discusses Overdose and Withdrawal Risks After Presley Gerber's Death

Presley Gerber, the 27-year-old son of model Cindy Crawford and businessman Rande Gerber, was found dead at a rehabilitation facility in Los Angeles County on Sunday, according to the county medical examiner’s office. The family released a statement asking for privacy during the "very difficult and painful time."

Police received a 911 call reporting a cardiac arrest at the facility, and a dispatch noted a possible overdose, but the official cause of death remains pending further testing.

Nicholas Kardaris, Ph.D., CEO of the New York Center for Living and a clinical professor at Stony Brook Medicine, told Fox News Digital that the death should not be immediately linked to the rehab setting. He said possible explanations include an acute medical or cardiac event, an undiagnosed condition, or a medication-related complication, noting that "younger people can sometimes die suddenly, and we don’t know whether they had an underlying medical issue."

Kardaris emphasized that admission to treatment does not guarantee that a person’s addiction is resolved and that facilities, while striving to prevent substance entry, cannot eliminate all risks. He highlighted that withdrawal from benzodiazepines or alcohol can be life-threatening without proper medical supervision, and that after detox a reduced tolerance can make a previously tolerated opioid dose fatal if relapse occurs.

The expert also cautioned that ibogaine, a psychedelic treatment Gerber had mentioned using in Mexico, is not FDA-approved and lacks clear evidence of safety or efficacy. He advised families to verify that a treatment center is licensed, staffed by qualified medical professionals, and has robust protocols for withdrawal management and emergencies.