10 Years Ago, Presley Gerber Revealed Where He Saw Himself in a Decade and the Dream He Had for His Life

Long before Presley Gerber reached his late 20s, he was asked to imagine the life ahead of him. His answers laid out some remarkably specific hopes.

The young model named three things he wanted from his budding career, while revealing another creative interest he hoped to explore. Then came the bigger questions. Presley explained where he pictured himself ten years later and, finally, what he wanted most from his working life.

A Young Presley Gerber Had More Than Modeling on His Mind

Presley was still a teenager when Vogue France asked him about his modeling career and what he hoped his future would hold. As the son of supermodel Cindy Crawford and businessman Rande Gerber, Presley had two very different professional paths close to home.

His early answers showed that he was considering interests that extended beyond modeling. When the conversation turned to what he hoped to achieve through his career, Presley did not name a major campaign, designer, or other conventional modeling milestone.

Instead, he identified three things he wanted from the experience and added another creative interest he enjoyed pursuing.

Three Things Presley Wanted From His Modeling Career

Asked what he hoped to achieve with his modeling career, Presley laid out his priorities in one answer. "Right now I want to have fun, travel, and meet creative people in the industry. I also enjoy learning more about photography," he said.

Having fun, traveling, and meeting creative people were therefore part of what Presley hoped modeling would allow him to experience. Photography was another interest he was exploring at the time. But his plans for the years ahead were not limited to the fashion industry.

The interview asked Presley to move beyond what he wanted from his career at that moment and imagine something much further away: his life ten years later. His answer placed him in a different city and on the other side of a business that had little to do with a runway.

Where Presley Saw Himself in 10 Years

Presley's vision took him away from simply pursuing a modeling career. He named both the city where he hoped to live and the type of business he wanted to own. "Living in New York and owning my own bar/club, following in my father's footsteps," Presley said.

His reference to his father had a clear basis. At the time of the interview, Vogue France noted that Rande owned numerous bars and restaurants as well as a tequila brand.

Presley's answer showed that, at least at that point in his life, he could picture following his father into hospitality rather than relying solely on modeling as a long-term career. New York was part of that picture, too. It was the city Presley named when imagining where he would be a decade into the future.

Yet when the interviewer asked about his dream, Presley did not mention New York, modeling, photography, or owning a bar. His answer was much broader.

Presley Revealed His Life Dream

Asked directly what his dream was, Presley answered in a single sentence. "To have a job I enjoy, so I don't feel like I'm going to work every day!" he said.

The answer placed enjoyment of his work at the center of what Presley wanted for his adult life, regardless of which professional direction he ultimately followed.

In the years that followed, his professional interests continued to develop. By 2023, Presley was discussing plans that went beyond the ambitions he had described in that early interview.

His Plans Later Took Another Direction

In a March 2023 interview, Presley revealed that he was working toward obtaining his real estate license while developing other projects. One of those ideas had the tentative name "Mental Health Mondays."

Presley envisioned dedicating Mondays to different areas of mental health and drawing partly from his own experiences. His plans included conversations with trainers and nutritionists as well as discussions about treatments he had attended.

Presley also wanted to talk about "green flags and red flags to look for" when people were seeking treatment. He said therapy, Western medicine, exercise, and changes to his diet were among the approaches he had explored.

The proposed project had become an important part of his daily focus. "I think that's really what's getting me going. That's what's getting me out of bed these days," Presley said.

He wanted to use what he had experienced to help other people dealing with their mental health and potentially help them avoid difficulties he had encountered. Years earlier, parts of Presley's personal struggles had already become public.

Treatment Followed an Earlier DUI

In January 2019, Presley was arrested for driving under the influence. Later that year, he received three years of probation and was ordered to complete a DUI program and two days of community service.

By March 2020, concerns about him were being discussed publicly. A source said Cindy and Rande had been trying to get their son help since the DUI.

According to that source, Presley had already undergone treatment while his parents were seeking something more serious. That same period brought another highly public moment for Presley.

His Face Tattoo Sparked Online Attention

In February 2020, at age 20, Presley documented himself getting "MISUNDERSTOOD" tattooed across his right cheekbone in an Instagram video.

The tattoo quickly drew online attention. In March, Presley responded to the criticism in an Instagram Story, questioning why people could make other major changes to their appearance while his small face tattoo appeared to make people "love to hate" him.

About a month after revealing "MISUNDERSTOOD," Presley appeared to have another tattoo on his left cheek. The second tattoo, however, was fake. Presley clarified that after it attracted attention online.

The original "MISUNDERSTOOD" tattoo remained visible for some time. In later photographs, the word had faded and was no longer clearly visible across his cheek.

Presley would eventually begin speaking publicly about treatment and mental health himself. His sister later addressed that part of his life as well.

Kaia Gerber Spoke About Her Brother's Decade-Long Addiction Struggle

Just over a month before Presley's death, Kaia discussed her older brother in a Vogue interview published on August 11, 2026. The magazine described Presley as having endured a decade-long struggle with drug addiction.

Kaia explained that her brother's situation had influenced the role she assumed within their family. She came to consider herself the "easy one" and avoided asking for help because she felt having two children who needed it would be too much.

She also addressed the difference between her parents' approach to privacy and Presley's willingness to discuss personal experiences publicly.

"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,'" Kaia said.

She added that she was "deeply proud of him." Presley continued working as a model. His final Instagram post, shared on August 5, showed him modeling for sportswear brand Vuori Clothing.

Presley Dies at 27

On September 20, 2026, Presley died at age 27. A representative for Cindy, Rande, and Kaia confirmed his death and relayed the family's request following the news.

"The family is asking for privacy during this very difficult and painful time," the representative said. An autopsy had not yet been completed when Presley's death was reported, and authorities had not released a cause of death.

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's public record listed his case as open under number 2026-14977. His place of death was listed as "Rehabilitation Facility." Presley Walker Gerber was Cindy and Rande's first child and only son.

He was born in the Los Angeles area in July 1999, a little more than a year after his parents married in May 1998. He weighed eight pounds, four ounces at birth. A spokeswoman said at the time that Cindy and her newborn were in "great shape" and that his parents were "over the moon."

More than two decades later, Cindy marked what became her son's final birthday with a message to him. "Happy birthday Presley Gerber 🎂 I'm so proud of the man you've become, but I'll always see you as my little boy! Love you ❤️," she wrote.

Rest In Peace, Presley Gerber!