Kaia Gerber Shares Joan Didion Grief Passage After Brother Presley’s Death
Model Kaia Gerber shared a Joan Didion passage about grief on Instagram on Sunday, Nov. 8, more than a month after her brother Presley Gerber died at 27 on Sept. 20. Police have said his death is being investigated as a suspected overdose.
Model Kaia Gerber, known online as Kaia Jordan Gerber, posted a passage about grief from Joan Didion's memoir "The Year of Magical Thinking" on Instagram on Sunday, Nov. 8. It is her first public reflection since a tribute in October to her brother, Presley Gerber, who died at 27 on Sept. 20.
The 25-year-old shared an image of stacked books in a joint post with Library Science, the book platform she cofounded with Alyssa Reeder.
The excerpt reads: "Grief, when it comes, is nothing we expect it to be. Grief has no distance." It continues: "Grief comes in waves, paroxysms, sudden apprehensions that weaken the knees and blind the eyes and obliterate the dailiness of life."
Gerber's post came after nearly a month of private mourning, followed by a tribute on Oct. 18.
Earlier tribute to Presley
"You know how much I loved being your sister. It has always been, and will forever be, my favorite thing about myself," she wrote in that October post.
She called Presley the "ultimate teacher" and wrote: "I was born loving you. I will die loving you. There was never anything else."
Their parents, Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber, asked for "privacy during this very difficult and painful time" in a statement to USA TODAY in September.
What is known about Presley Gerber's death
Presley Gerber was the only son of Crawford and Gerber. He died on Sept. 20 at a rehab facility, according to Los Angeles County Medical Examiner records.
He had entered a sober living program at the facility just hours earlier. The program is part of Resolutions Therapeutic Services, founded by Dr. Reza Nabavi, who has a history of criminal activity and licensing issues, according to state records obtained by USA TODAY.
On Sept. 21, the Santa Monica Police Department said it was investigating his death "as a suspected overdose," with "no indication of foul play." A cause of death has not been released.
Presley, a model like his mother and sister, had openly documented his struggles with substance misuse and mental health on social media before he died.
Anyone in crisis can call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357). It operates 24/7 in English and Spanish.
