Actress Kaia Gerber, 24, revealed that her 27-year-old brother Presley Gerber's drug use and mental health struggles leveled their famous family. She made the rare comments about her brother during a Vogue cover story alongside her Shards co-star Homer Gere.
Kaia Gerber explained that her brother's difficulties influenced how she acted at home with her parents, supermodel Cindy Crawford, 60, and businessman Rande Gerber, 64. She said the situation made her want to be the easy child and avoid asking for help because having two children with needs felt like too much.
"When something like that happens in a family, it kind of levels everyone," Kaia Gerber told Vogue. "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."
Presley Gerber Social Media Video
Her comments follow a candid social media video that Presley Gerber posted last December detailing his personal life. In the Instagram reel, the model listed several prescription medications he takes for night terrors and panic attacks.
"I feel like honesty is the best policy," Presley Gerber said before sharing that he was on 1mg of Buprenorphine twice a day. Buprenorphine is used to treat both pain and opioid use disorders.
Presley Gerber also shared that his use of benzodiazepines has fluctuated depending on events in his life. Benzodiazepines help slow down activity in your brain and nervous system to treat anxiety and related mental health conditions, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
"Unfortunately, I've had a lot of loss in many different forms recently, so that is not an excuse, but it's the reason why I am where I'm at now," he said. He did not elaborate on the loss he referenced.
He explained that he takes a dose of Xanax at night or when panic attacks become really, really bad. He also listed Valium, admitting he did not know how much he had been taking, saying, "Who f***ing knows anymore."
"Doctors say a lot of different things so it's kind of scary," he noted in the video. "But hopefully between my research and their research and the world and God, we can finally figure this out."
Family Support and Transparency
Kaia Gerber told Vogue that witnessing her brother's honesty was refreshing, contrasting his openness with their parents' long-standing privacy.
"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," she said. She added that trying to put a lid on something makes a person feel like their family is ashamed of them.
The family has also shared messages of mutual support on social media. This past May, Presley Gerber posted a photo of himself paddle boarding with his father and expressed gratitude for his support.
"I have the best father in the world. He's never given up on me," Presley Gerber wrote. "He's always there for me. Always has the best advice for me. I appreciate this man more than words can explain. I love you pops. To more paddle boarding days around the world."
Cindy Crawford showed support in the comments by writing, "My boys!" Rande Gerber, a father of two, also responded to his son, writing, "I am honored [to] take this ride called life with you over and over any time. Sometimes we may fall but with a little help always get back up. I love you forever Prez."
