New comments from addiction-medicine physician Dr. Drew Pinsky have raised questions about the treatment Presley Gerber was receiving before his death at age 27.
Gerber, the son of Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber, died on September 20 at a rehabilitation facility in Santa Monica, California. Santa Monica police are investigating the death as a suspected overdose, and authorities have said there is currently no indication of foul play.
An autopsy has been completed, but the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner has not yet determined the official cause or manner of death. The case remains deferred while additional testing is conducted, with officials saying a final determination could take months.
Speaking with TMZ, Dr. Drew questioned whether a traditional rehabilitation facility was the appropriate setting for Gerber’s reported circumstances. He said he believed Gerber may have required treatment in a psychiatric hospital where his medications and mental-health needs could be monitored more closely.
Dr. Drew also discussed reports that Gerber had previously taken Suboxone, a medication used in opioid-use-disorder treatment, together with benzodiazepines. He characterized that combination as potentially dangerous. However, there is currently no official finding that these medications caused Gerber’s death. The medical examiner has not released toxicology results or identified a specific substance as the cause.
Gerber had spoken publicly about his struggles with mental health and addiction. In previous interviews, he described mental health as a major part of his life and said he hoped sharing his experiences could help other people facing similar difficulties.
In the days following his death, attention has increasingly focused on what happened at the rehabilitation facility and what substances may have been involved. Investigators are still working to establish the circumstances surrounding his death, while the medical examiner awaits additional testing.
For now, the official cause of death remains unknown.
